United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Illinois, Indiana
Michigan, Minnesota
Ohio, Wisconsin
4>EPA Lindsay Light Sites Update
Chicago, Illinois
April 2000
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide
community residents and other interested
individuals with information about the Lindsay
Light sites. In particular, this fact sheet will
provide a brief overview of cleanup activities
at each site with background information on
the company and contacts for additional
information.
LINDSAY LIGHT BACKGROUND
The Lindsay Light Chemical Company is the
former maker of incandescent gas mantles for
home and street lighting. Earlier reports
show this company first imported and then
manufactured mantles from around 1910 until
1933 at 161 East Grand Avenue. Sometime
after 1933, Lindsay Light moved to West
Chicago, Illinois.
The process of gas mantle manufacturing
involves dipping gauze mantle bags into
solutions containing thorium nitrate and small
amounts of cerium, beryllium and magnesium
nitrates. The principal ingredient in thorium
nitrate is radioactive thorium, specifically,
thorium-232.
LINDSAY LIGHT I SITE
The Lindsay Light I site is located at 161 East
Grand Avenue, at the corner of Grand
Avenue and St. Clair Street in downtown
Chicago. Lindsay Light I is the former
manufacturing location for the Lindsay Light
Chemical Company. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency took a series of surveys
and recommended that decontamination of
areas throughout the building be undertaken,
where practicable (areas where employees
and members of the general public work or
frequent). In August 1981, the current
building owners funded a limited project to
decontaminate only occupied work areas on
the second and fourth floors. During June
1983 and February 1984, U.S. EPA took dose
measurements to determine what, if any,
levels of radiation were present. On both
occasions results were minimal.
In June 1993, a site assessment was
performed to measure gamma exposure
rates. This assessment concluded that there
were additional areas that should be
removed.
LINDSAY LIGHT II SITE
The Lindsay Light II Site, which is a public
parking lot, is located at 316 East Illinois
Street. The three acre lot is bounded by
Grand Avenue, Illinois Street, McClurg Court
and Columbus Drive. Records show that the
Lindsay Lite II Site originally housed a stable,
which was later used as a laboratory/
processing facility by the former Chemical
company. A site assessment was done in
June 1993, which determine the extent of
cleanup activities.
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LINDSAY LIGHT III SITE
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Lindsay Light III is located at 22 West
Hubbard Street. Records indicate that this
location was once a home of the Lindsay
Light Chemical Company. A site assessment
occurred at 22 and 30 West Hubbard
(adjacent buildings) which showed minimal
levels that posed no immediate health and
safety actions. Surveys were conducted at 30
West Hubbard due to the common wall
shared by the two buildings.
If you have questions about the information in
this fact sheet or would like additional
information about the Lindsay Light Sites,
please contact the individuals listed below:
Derrick Kimbrough
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
(312)886-9749
kimbrough.derrick@epa.gov
LINDSAY LIGHT II SITE/RV3 NORTH
COLUMBUS DRIVE
The Lindsay Light II Site/RV3 Columbus Drive
is located at 316 East Illinois Street directly
across the street from the Lindsay Light II
removal site. This property was detected
during a U.S. EPA walkover radiation survey
of the property. During this walkover the
presence of thorium was discovered. These
levels were cross-checked through the
Argonne National Laboratory. As a result,
U.S. EPA expanded the Lindsay Light II
cleanup project to included the North
Columbus Drive property (known as the
Lindsay Light II Site/RV3 North Columbus
Drive).
A workplan to cleanup this property was
finalized and approved on March 24, 2000.
Cleanup activities are scheduled to begin in
early April 2000.
Verneta Simon
On-Scene Coordinator
Superfund Division (SE-5J)
(312)886-3601
simon.verneta@epa.gov
U.S. EPA Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590
(800)621-8431
Lindsay Light site-related information is
available at the following location:
Harold Washington Public Library
400 South State
Chicago, Illinois
Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Tues. and Thurs.: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Fri., and Sat.: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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