THE TACOMA LANDFILL ( SITE ) HAS BEEN OWNED AND OPERATED AS A SOLID WASTE LANDFILL BY THE CITY OF TACOMA, REFUSE UTILITY DIVISION SINCE IT OPENED IN 1960. THE LANDFILL IS STILL RECEIVING WASTE, BUT MOST OF THE LANDFILL HAS BEEN FILLED. IN 1983, CHLORINATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS WERE DETECTED IN GROUNDWATER AND IN SOILS NEAR THE LANDFILL. THAT YEAR, THE LANDFILL WAS PLACED ON THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST AS A PART OF THE SOUTH TACOMA CHANNEL SITE. ON 6/27/86 THE CITY OF TACOMA AGREED TO CONDUCT THE REMEDIAL INVESTI- GATION AND FEASIBILITY STUDY (RI/FS) PURSUANT TO A CONSENT ORDER EXECUTED WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY. THE RI/FS IDENTIFIED 24 VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN THE GROUNDWATER. CONTAMINANT LEVELS IN THREE PRIVATE WELLS OFF-SITE EXCEEDED DRINKING WATER STANDARDS. CONTAMINANTS WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE SOIL, SURFACE WATER AND SEDIMENT. GENERATED LANDFILL GAS (METHANE) HAS ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A PROBLEM. A SYSTEM TO EXTRACT, COLLECT AND COMBUST GAS WAS INSTALLED IN 1986. GAS PROBES ARE USED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEM. EPA, WITH STATE CONCURRENCE, ISSUED A RECORD OF DECISION ON 3/31/89 SETTING FORTH THE SELECTED REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE SITE. BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF TACOMA EXPRESSED ITS DESIRE TO ASSUME SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REMEDIAL ACTION AND COSTS, AND TO