ENERGY COOPERATIVE, INC., (ECI), FORMER OWNER AND OPERATOR OF THE ECI SITE, HAS BEEN IN BANKRUPTCY SINCE 1981. THE BANKRUPTCY STARTED AS A CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION AND THEN IN 1984, SHIFTED TO A CHAPTER 7 LIQUIDATION OF OVER $33 MIL IN ASSETS. AMONG THE PENDING ORDERS FOR THIS MATTER ARE TWO THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE CLAIMS OF THE U.S. AT THE FORMER REFINERY FACILITY. FIRST, THERE IS A BAR DATE FOR DEBTOR-IN-POSSESSION ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS SET FOR 5/29/92. WHILE THE DEBTOR WAS IN POSSESSION, RCRA CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN AT THE FACILITY. SECOND, THERE IS A PROPOSED ORDER BY JAY A. STEINBERG, CHAPTER 7 TRUSTEE TO DISTRIBUTE ALSMOST $16 MIL TO ADMINISTRATIVE, PRIORITY AND UNSECURED CLAIMS. USEPA RECOMMENDS THAT A PROOF OF CLAIM BE FILED FOR POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP COSTS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AS HIGH AS $45 MIL, AND THE DISTRIBUTION PLANNED BY THE TRUSTEE BE OPPOSED AS INSUFFICIENT TO UNDERTAKE THE NECESSARY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS AT THE SITE. - THE ECI SITE CONSISTS OF APPOX. 299 ACRES ALONG THE INDIANA HARBOR SHIP CANAL IN EAST CHICAGO, IN. ABOUT 250 OF THOSE ACRES COMPRISED A FORMER REFINERY OPERATED BY SINCLAIR, ARCO, AND ENERGY COOPERATIVE, INC. SEVERAL MILLION GALLONS OF OIL BASED HYDROCARBONS FLOAT ATOP THE GROUNDWATER UNDER THE SITE. THESE HYDROCARBONS ARE CU