  We consider the electric and magnetic field fluctuations in the vacuum state
in the region external to a half-space filled with a homogeneous
non-dissipative dielectric. We discuss an appropriate limit to an ideal metal
and concentrate our interest on the renormalized field fluctuations, or
equivalently to renormalized electric and magnetic energy densities, in the
proximity of the dielectric-vacuum interface. We show that surface divergences
of field fluctuations arise at the interface in an appropriate ideal conductor
limit, and that our limiting procedure allows to discuss in detail their
structure. Field fluctuations close to the surface can be investigated through
the retarded Casimir-Polder interaction with an appropriate polarizable body.
