ON FEBRUARY 22, 1996, GTE CORPORATION (GTE), THROUGH ITS ATTORNEYS, NOTIFIED EPA THAT IT HAD, BY THE INITIATION OF A COMPANY-WIDE AUDIT, IDENTIFIED THE POSSIBILITY OF VIOLATIONS OF EPCRA AND OF THE SPCC REGULATIONS OF THE CWA. THE AGENCY AND GTE CORPORATION HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT RES OLVING 600 VIOLATIONS AT 314 GTE FACILITIES IN 21 STATES. T HE VIOLATIONS OCCURRED UNDER THE EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMM UNITY RIGHT TO KNOW ACT (EPCRA) AND THE SPILL PREVENTION COU NTERMEASURE AND CONTROL (SPCC) REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLEAN WAT ER ACT (CWA). GTE DISCLOSED 511 VIOLATIONS OF EPCRA, FOR FAILURE TO NOTIFY STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF SULFURIC ACID FILLED BATTERIES AT 229 GTE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION IS NEEDED BY STATE AN D LOCAL RESPONSE AUTHORITIES TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES AND FIRE FIGHTERS IN THE EVENT OF A CHEMICAL SPILL OR RELEASE. ANOTHER 89 VIOLATIONS WERE NOTED FOR FAILURE TO DEVELOP REQU IRED SPCC PLANS FOR DIESEL FUEL STORED AT THE FACILITIES. SUCH PLANS ARE REQUIRED TO HELP PREVENT OR MITIGATE SPILLS A ND KEEP HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS FROM POLLUTING STREAMS, RIVERS A ND OTHER BODIES OF WATER. AFTER DISCOVERING NON-COMPLIANCE AT SEVERAL FACILITIES, GTE PROMPTLY NOTIFIED EPA OF THE VIOLATIONS PURSUANT TO EPA'S SE LF-DISCLOSURE POLICY AND UNDERTOOK A COMPANY-WIDE AUDIT AT 1 0,000 SITES NATIONWIDE. AFTER DISCL