BARRIER INDUSTRIES SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 1000 FT. FROM A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMPLEX, AND IS ADJACENT TO THE NEVERSINK RIVER, WHICH DEFINES THE SOUTHWEST BORDER OF THE PROPERTY. ON JAN. 28, 1994, THE EMERGENCY AND REMEDIAL RESPONSE DIV. OF EPA REGION II RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE NYSDEC FOR PERFORMANCE OF A REMOVAL ACTION AT THE SITE UNDER CERCLA/AS AMENDED, 42 U.S.C. SECTION 9601, ET SEQ. THE REMOVAL ACTION WAS REQUIRED TO STABILIZE, SECURE, AND DISPOSE OF THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES AT THE SITE. AFTER RECEIVING NYSDEC'S REQUEST, EPA CONDUCTED A SITE ASSESSMENT WHICH DETERMINED THAT AN ESTIMATED 5,000 DRUMS AND 10.000 OTHER CONTAINERS OF HAZARDUS MATERIALS, PRODUCT PRECURSORS, & PRODUCTS WERE STORED THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. AN ESTIMATED 200 LARGE STROAGE TANKS AND REACTOR VESSELS CONTAINING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS RAW MATERIALS AND PRODUCT PRECURSORS WERE WITHIN THE PRODUCTION BUILDING. EPA FOUND THAT EIGHT TRACTOR TRAILERS FILLED WITH DRUMS WERE ALSO STORED OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY. MANY OF THE DRUMS HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO FREEZING CONDITIONS AND HAD BURST AND SPILLED THEIR CONTENTS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING OR WERE EXPANDING OUT OF THEIR BUNGS. IN JULY 1995, EPA COMPLETED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REMOVAL ACTION, CONSISTING OF, AMOUNT OTHER THINGS, THE OVERPACKING OF ALL DETERIORATED DRUMS CONTAINING L