BERNCOLORS OPERATED A DYE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN POUGH- KEEPSIE, N.Y., ON THE WEST BANK OF THE HUDSON RIVER. ON JANUARY 14 1982, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND A FIRE AT THE SITE WHICH DESTROYED A LARGE PART OF THE FACILITY. SINCE THE DYE MANUFACTURING PROCESS USES A LARGE NUMBER OF HAZARD- OUS MATERIALS (REACTIVE, IGNITABLE AND TOXIC), THE RUNOFF RESULTING FROM THE WATER USED TO FIGHT THE FIRE WAS HAZARD- OUS AS WELL. THIS RUNOFF WAS FLOWING DIRECTLY INTO THE HUDSON. THE COAST GUARD WAS ALERTED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES & PROMPLTY RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT, USING SUPERFUND MONIES TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE AND TO ABATE THE RELEASE OF CONTAMI- NATED RUNOFF. ONCE THE IMMEDIATE THREAT OF A DISCHARGE WAS ABATED, THE COAST GUARD, WITH THE HELP OF EPA & SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES, ADDRESSED ITSELF TO THE CONTAMINATED RUBBLE THAT WAS LEFT ON SITE. THIS RUBBLE CONSISTED OF THE REMAINS OF THE BUILD- ING, NOT DESTROYED BY THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE, AS WELL AS AN INDETERMINABLE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS. SINCE THE FACILITY WAS LOCATED IN THE HUDSON RIVER FLOOD PLAIN, THERE WAS A GREAT LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WOULD BE FURTHER RELEASE OF CONTAMI- NATED MATERIAL BECAUSE AT THE TIME THE HUDSON WAS CHOKED W/ ICE, THREATENING TO FLOOD AND INUNDATE THE SITE. A DETERMI- NATION WAS THEREFORE MADE TO SHIP ALL MATERIALS WHICH WERE OR MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED TO THE CECOS FACILITY IN UP- STATE N.Y. FOR ULTIMATE DISPOSAL.