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. ------- 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. ------- |