VULCAN LOUISVILLE SMELTING COMANY (AKA THE VACANT LOT) NORTH CHICAGO, LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS CERCLIS ID #ILD-097-271-563; SITE SPILL ID# A527 DESCRIPTION: THE SITE IS A 6.4-ACRE PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED AT THE NORTH- EAST CORNER OF COMMONWEALTH AVENUE AND 22ND STREET IN NORTH CHICAGO, LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. THE SITE IS TRANSECTED BY PETTIBONE CREEK, AN INTERMITTENT WATER BODY THAT LIES IN A RELATIVELY STEEP-SIDED RAVINE, AND ORIGINATES AT THE NORTH- WEST BOUNDARY OF SITE. THE CREEK FLOWS TO SOUTH ON SITE, AND EAST TO FINALLY MERGE INTO LAKE MICHIGAN (1.5 MILES FROM SITE). BACKGROUND: THE SITE WAS UTILIZED BY NEARBY INDUSTRIES FOR WASTE DISPO- SAL. THE SOURCE, QUANTITY, AND NATURE OF MATERIALS BROUGHT TO SITE WAS NOT WELL DOCUMENTED. REPORTS OF FOUNDRY SAND AND TAILINGS DEPOSITION AT SITE IS CONSISTENT WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF MATERIALS OBSERVED ON SITE. NUMEROUS SAMPLING EVENTS WERE CONDUCTED AT SITE SINCE 1984 BY STATE AND LOCAL OFFI- CIALS. ELEVATED LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS, CHLORINATED SOLVENT S, PAHS, PESTICIDES, AND PCBS WERE DETECTED IN ON-SITE SOIL SAMPLES. IN SEPTEMBER 1994, U.S. EPA CONDUCTED A SITE ASSESSMENT AT REQUEST OF ILLINOIS EPA. SEVERAL SOIL AND SED IMENT SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED, INCLUDING SAMPLES FROM LOCA- TION OF PREVIOUS UNDERGROUND FIRE IN