FROM 1977 THROUGH 1983, DEFENDANTS INTERSTATE AND HAROLD SNYDER WERE ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF REPAIRING, RESELLING, SALVAGING AND/OR PREPARING AND ARRANGING FOR DISPOSAL OF ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS, TRANSFORMER PARTS AND OIL, AND OF STORING WASTE TRANSFORMER OIL AT THE INTERSTATE FACILITY. THE FACILITY IS LOCATED IN ELLWOOD CITY, PA. IN A MIXED COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE SITE IS FLANKED BY PRIVATE RESIDENCES ON TWO SIDES. AN ESTIMATED 100 PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN 100 YARDS OF THE FACILITY'S STORAGE BUILDING. THE POPULATION OF ELLWOOD CITY IS APPROXIAMATLY 10,000 PERSONS. AS PART OF THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS, DEFENDANTS RECONDIT IONED TRANSFORMER OIL BY FILTERING OUT CARBON AND OTHER CON- TAMINANTS. SNYDER AND INTERSTATE ALSO RECLAIMED COPPER FROM TRANSFORMER COILS BY INCINERATING THE COILS. THE TRANSFORMER OIL STORED AND/OR RECONDITIONED CONTAINED POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCB'S), WHICH WERE AT THE TIME USED BY THE ELECTRIC FACILITY IN DIELECTRIC FLUIDS. THE SITE WAS NOT SECURED, ALLOWING AREA RESIDENTS AND OTHER PERSONS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, ACCESS TO THE FACILITY AND TO THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES LOCATED WITHIN THE FACILITY. IN ADDITION TO PCB'S DEFENDANTS STORED AT THE SITE THE FOLLOWING SUBSTANCES: AMMONIUM, BIFLUORIDE, ANILINE, ANTHRA- CENE, CUPRIC SULFATE, FERROUS SULFATE, MERCUROUS NITRATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM CHROMATE, POTASSIUM CYANIDE, SODIUM CHROMATE, TRICHLOROBENZENE, VINY