Document 95o5QNxBmw61XYXeXM65Lap6

WAUKEGAN, ILL NEWS-SUN D. 17 500 MAR 4 78 / OMC's counterattack IT IS JUST a lawsuit, but Jack London fans might easily picture the dispute it describes in terms bf a small but determined wild cat turning in mid-chase on two mighty bears hot on its heels. The lawsuit, as you may have guessed, is the one announced Thursday by the harried Out board Marine Corp. against two relentless pursuers, the U.S. and Illinois Environmental Protec tion Agencies. The two agencies want OMC to clean up PCB (polychjorinated biphenyl) pollutants deposited overii period from the early 1940s. But now OMC is de manding in the courts that the two'agencies help it with the job.. tjie company's demand is based on what ft contends are legal requirements imposed on the agencies by Congress, par ticularly for environmental prob lems that originated before 1972. It wants the agencies to tell it what must be done and how to do it and it may ask later on that they help with what appears to be a costly undertaking ahead. As most News-Sun readers are aware, the PCBs drained into the Waukegan harbor and settled .deep into the ooze at the bottom without any awamess by OMC that they were present in oil it used to lubncate machines that operate under extremely high temperatures. ( ^ OBVIOUSLY, tUs far too early' to tell how the battle will end but at least for the moment, the pur suers ' find themselves con fronted by a Scrappy little fight er that is tired of running in' circles. ` . HONS 001860