THE FAR-MAR-CO SUBSITE IS ONE OF SEVEN SUBSITES AT THE HASTINGS GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION SITE. EPA BEGAN INVESTIGATION OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AT THE HASTINGS SITE IN 1984, AND IDENTIFIED VARIOUS SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION. THESE VARIOUS SOURCES LATER BECAME IDENTIFIED AS SEPARATE SUBSITES OF THE HASTINGS SITE. THE FAR-MAR-CO SUBSITE IS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CITY LIMIT, WEST OF SIXTH AVENUE, NORTH OF THE U.S. HIGHWAY 6 BY-PASS, AND SOUTH OF SEVENTH STREET, AND IS CHARACTERIZED PRIMARILY BY CARBON TETRACHLORIDE (CC14) AND ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE (EDB) CONTAMINATION. EPA HAD BEEN INVESTIGATING THE SOURCE OF CC14 AND EDB CONTAMINATION IN CMS #24, A PUBLIC SUPPLY WELL EAST AND DOWNGRADIENT OF THE FAR-MAR-CO SUBSITE, WHEN IT FOUND SOIL AND GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATED WITH CC14 AND EDB AT THE GRAIN ELEVATOR PROPERTY. THE SUBSITE PROPERTY HAS BEEN THE LOCATION OF A GRAIN MERCHANDISING BUSINESS SINCE 1954. ORIGINALLY, THE GRAIN MERCHANDISING BUSINESS HAD BEEN OWNED AND OPERATED BY MORRISON-QUIRK GRAIN CORPORATION. EPA LEARNED THAT DURING MORRISON'S OWNERSHIP, A GRAIN DUST EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN 1959 AT THE SUBSITE CAUSING A TANK STORING APPROXIMATELY 997 GALLONS OF LIQUID GRAIN FUMIGANT TO RUPTURE AND SPILL ITS CONTENTS ONTO THE GROUND. THE FUMIGANT CONTAINED CC14 AND EDB. IN 1975, MORRISON SOLD TWO LARGE TRA