THE VERONA WELL FIELD IS THE SOLE SOURCE WATER FOR 35,000 RESIDENTS OF BATTLE CREEK, AS WELL AS FOR SEVERAL MAJOR FOOD PRODUCING INDUSTRIES IN THE AREA. 16 OF THE 31 WELLS IN THE FIELD ARE NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION. OTHER MUNICIPAL WELLS COULD BE AFFECTED IF T THE CONTAMINANTS SPREAD HORIZONTALLY. IN SEPT 1981, HYDRO- CARBONS WERE DETECTED IN THE TAP WATER IN THE HOMES OF BATTLE CREEK RESIDENTS. SAMPLING IN THE WELL FIELD INDICAT- ED CONTAMINATION IN A THIRD OF THE WELLS. SAMPLING NEAR THE FIELD ALSO INDICATED HIGH LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION IN PRIVATE WELLS. A HYDROGEOLOGIC STUDY WAS COMPLETED BY E&E IN APRIL OF 1982 TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION. USGS CON- TRACTED WITH THE CITY TO COMPLETE A COMPUTER-GENERATED GROUNDWATER MODEL OF THE AREA AND INSTALLED 17 MONITORING WELLS FOR THIS. NATURE OF 9/27/85 REFERRAL THIS IS A FACTUALY COMPLEX SITUATION INVOLVING A PARENT COMPANY AND THREE SPINOFF CORPORATIONS. THE PARENT COM- PANY IS THOMAS SOLVENT COMPAN, INCORPORATED (TSC). TSC IS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR OF A SITE LOCATED IN BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, FROM WHICH RELEASES OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE TO THE ENVIRONMENT HAVE OCCURRED. THESE RELEASES REPRESENT THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES THAT HAVE CONTAMI- NATED THE VERONA WELL FIELD, A SITE LISTED ON THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST. THE GOVERNMENT HAS E