The Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) site is located north of Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is the location of an outboard motor manufacturing plant which used polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in its die cast machines for about 20 years ending in the early 1970's. Discharges from the facility resulted in highly contaminated sediment in Waukgan Harbor and contaminated soil in the parking lot north of the plant and the 'North Ditch,' a tributary of Lake Michigan. The cost-effective option considered for this site was excavation and off-site disposal of PCB-contaminated material. This is the only option that meets the requirements of TSCA and guarantees the halt of PCB migration. The cost of this option is more than $75 million. Because of the high cost to implement this option it was necessary to Fund Balance. Fund Balancing is appropriate where the alternative that would fully satisfy the technical requirements of other environmental laws is extremely expensive, and another alternative which approaches the same level of effectiveness can be implemented for a much lower cost. The Fund Balanced alternative for this site provides for off-site disposal of PCB contaminated hot-spots and on-site containment of the moderately contaminated materials. The cost of the Fund Balanced selected alternative is estimated to be $21.57 million.

"May 1984." "EPA/ROD/R05-84/007." PB85-213957. Additional title: Superfund record of decision (EPA Region 5) Outboard Marine Corporation site, Waukegan, Illinois, May 1984.