THIS PROPOSED COST RECOVERY ACTION UNDER SECT 107 OF CER- CLA CONCERNS THE RASMUSSEN DUMP, AKA WHITMORE LAKE DUMP, LO- CATED IN LIVINGTON COUNTY, 40 MILES WEST OF DETROIT, MICH. IT HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE NAT'L PRIORITIES LIST (NPL). DURING THE LIFE OF THE 33-ACRE DUMP, DRUMMED INDUSTRIAL LI QUIDS, SLUDGE WASTES AND RUBBER BY PRODUCTS WERE ACCEPTED FOR DISPOSAL. A GREAT DEAL OF THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL WAS CONSUMED OR DISPERSED BY A SERIES OF FIRES WHICH OCCURRED AP PROXIMATELY 20 YEARS AGO. HOWEVER, SLUDGES, RUSTED AND LEAK ING DRUMS REMAINED BURIED ON THE SITE. IN ADDITION, SUBSTAN CES SUCH AS POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS AND ORGANIC SOLVENTS FOUND ON SITE WERE BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCALIZED GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, POSSIBLY OF A DRINKING WATER AQUI FER. LATER PART OF THE RASMUSSEN PROPERTY WAS USED FOR QUARRY. IT WAS THIS GRAVEL MINING OPERATION WHICH EVENTUALLY UNDER- MINED A PORTION OF THE DUMP AND EXPOSED THE BURIED DRUMS AND SLUDGES. DIRECT CONTACT WITH THESE SUBSTANCES WAS POSSIBLE SINCE ACCESS TO THE SITE WAS UNRESTRICTED. FOLLOWING REPEAT ED AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS BY THE MICHIGAN DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR) AND USEPA TO INDUCE HOMER RASMUSSEN TO UNDER TAKE VOLUNTARY REMOVAL, AN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL ACTION WAS INI- TIATED. THE REMOVAL ACTION BEGAN IN THE FALL OF 1984 AND ENDED IN EARLY JANUARY 1985. THE REMOVAL OF MO