THIS IS A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THE ESCANABA AND LAKE SUP- ERIOR RAILROAD AND ITS OWNER, MR. JOHN LARKIN, FOR DUMP- ING APPROXIMATELY 400 TONS OF TACONITE PELLETS INTO THE MENOMINEE RIVER AT A POINT IN MARINETTE COUNTY, WISCONSIN, IN AUGUST 1981. AN ANONYMOUS INFORMER INDICATED TO THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE THAT IN NEED OF RAIL CARS TO TRANS- PORT OTHER MATERIALS, MR. LARKIN ORDERED FOUR RAILROAD CARS FILLED WITH THE TACONITE PELLETS TO BE OVERTURNED AT NIGHT ON A RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER. HE ASSIGNED THIS TASK TO FIVE TRUSTED EMPLOYEES WHO WERE INSTRUCTED TO SWEEP CLEAN ALL THE RAIL TIES APPARENTLY TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF DISCOVERY. A DIVERSE TEAM FROM THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF THE PELLETS IN THE RIVER BELOW THE BRIDGE-- THE PILE IS ABOUT 6-8 FEET DEEP AT ITS GREAT- EST DEPTH.