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TIRES coordinator for the EPA. But absent any major human- or environmental-health threat, Continued from C1 primary responsibility for the And while detailed groundwa- cleanup will probably shift back ter studies have not been done, to state and local agencies, with officials hope that a thick layer EPA continuing to provide tech- of impermeable clay underneath nical help, Zurosky said. the tire pile will prevent any "We're all working together on contamination of area aquifers. this to make sure it gets dealt "We can't say," Schmidt said of with Properly," he said. the condition of the groundwa- If responsibility falls to the ter. "We won't know until we do county, that could be bad news, the assessment. It will involve Foley said. drilling right down into the pit." "The county is hoping it will The U.S. EPA has taken the not come back to our pockets, lead in coordinating the immedi- because we don't have any ate assessment of any pollution money," she said. and developing a cleanup plan. Depending on the cost of the If a massive, multimillion-dollar cleanup, federal, state or local cleanup is required — and no agencies could try to seek reim- one knows if that's the case — bursement from other "responsi- the site could be eligible for ble parties," starting with the funding under the U.S. Royster estate, said Jim Spagnole, Superfund program, said Donn spokesman for the California Zurosky, emergency-response Environmental Protection Agency.