ACTION AT THE ROUSE STEEL DRUM SUPERFUND SITE TO OBTAIN REIMBURSEMENT OF APPROX. $1,051,271.16 IN PAST RESPONSE COSTS. THE SITE IS LOCATED IN A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA IN JACKSONVILLE, DUVAL COUNTY, FLORIDA. THE SITE IS BORDERED TO THE EAST BY RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND TO THE WEST BY A RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY. THE SITE IS BORDERED TO THE NORTH BY 13TH STREET AND 11TH STREET TO THE SOUTH. THE SITE IS DIVIDED INTO 2 TRACTS OF PROPERTY BY 12TH STREET. FROM 1965 TO ROUGHLY 1989, THE ROUSE STEEL DRUM CO., INC. AND/OR ITS CORPORATE PREDECESSOR/SUCCESSOR, OPERATED A DRUM RECLAMATION FACILITY AT THE SITE. DURING ITS PERIOD OF OPERATIONS, ROUSE ACCEPTED USED 55-GALLON STEEL OR PLASTIC DRUMS FROM PULP/PAPER MILLS, AND CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM MANUFACTURERS FOR RECONDITIONING. THESE DRUMS WERE RINSED AND CLEANED ON-SITE. EACH DRUM WAS SANDBLASTED TO REMOVE ANY RESIDUAL RUST AND THEN SPRAY PAINTED FOR RESALE AND RE-USE. WASTE WATER GENERATED FROM THIS RECLAMATION PROCESS WAS COLLECTED IN CONCRETE PITS. AFTER THE WASTE HAD GONE THROUGH AN OIL-WATER SEPARATION PROCESS IT WAS PUMPED INTO STORAGE TANKS FOR DISPOSAL BY LOCAL SEPTIC TANK COMPANIES. THE REGION BECAME AWARE OF THE SITE IN SEPTEMBER 1993, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE FLORIDA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO CONDUCT A REMOVAL SITE EVALUATION. AS A RESULT OF THIS EVALUATION, THE REGION DETERMINATED THAT THE SITE POSED AN IMMINENT AND SUBSTANTIAL ENDANGERMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. AS