SYNOPSIS THIS CASE SEEKS THE RECOVERY OF FUNDS SPENT FOR TWO EMER- GENCY REMOVAL ACTIONS TAKEN BETWEEN 7/21/83 AND 8/19/83 AT TWO ABANDONED DRUM SITES IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (BROWN FIELD AND TECATE). THE SITES, LOCATED NEAR THE BORDER BET- WEEN MEXICO AND THE U.S., CONTAINED RUSTING AND CORRODING DRUMS OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES. THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES WERE CAUSTICS, FLAMMABLES AND ACIDS, INCLUDING HYDROGEN FLOURIDE. THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEPT OF HEALTH SERVICES AND EPA'S ON-SCENE COORDINATOR DETERMINED THAT THE CONDITIONS AT THE SITE PRESENTED A THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FIRE, EXPLOSION, AND THE RELEASE OF TOXIC VAPORS AND GASES. THE DRUMS WERE DEPOSITED AT THE BROWN FIELD SITE SOMETIME BETWEEN APRIL AND SEPT, 1980, AND AT THE TECATE SITE BETWEEN LATE 1981 AND MARCH, 1982. STATE AND LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AC- TIONS AT THE SITES WERE TAKEN AGAINST THE GENERATOR AND OTHER RESPONSIBLE PARTIES BETWEEN JUNE 1981 AND JUNE 1983. ON 6/23/83, THE STATE OF CALIF REQUESTED EPA'S ASSISTANCE AT THE BROWN FIELD AND TECATE SITES TO REMOVE HAZARDOUS SUB- STANCES. ON 6/28/83, THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES WERE GIVEN ORAL NOTICE OF EPA'S INTENT TO CONDUCT REMOVAL ACTIONS AT THE SITES. NOTICE LETTERS WERE SENT ON 6/30/83. THE SOLE GENERATOR INITIALLY AGREED TO UNDERTAKE THE CLEAN UP OF BOTH SITES. HOWEVER, AFTER SAMP