United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Illinois, Indiana
Michigan, Minnesota
Ohio, Wisconsin
4>EPA Before You Dig - Radioactive
Thorium and Construction Activities
in the Streeterville Area
Chicago, Illinois
November 2006
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this update is to provide basic
background information on the history of
thorium within the Streeterville area and basic
procedures when uncovering or intruding into
subsurface soils within the potentially
contaminated area.
BACKGROUND
In the 1990's, U.S. EPA became involved in
Streeterville due to the discovery and
excavation of approximately 40,000 tons of
radioactive thorium-contaminated soils that
were located during property development
and utilities installation and maintenance.
Additional subsurface thorium contamination
has been found in other Streeterville
locations. This radioactively contaminated
material must be managed in accordance with
State and Federal environmental
requirements. U.S. EPA believes that
radioactive thorium waste from the Lindsay
Light and Chemical Company (Lindsay Light)
was disposed of in the Streeterville area, but
there are no historic records describing where
Lindsay Light disposed of its waste.
Our historical research indicate that beginning
in about 1904 and continuing through the mid
1930's, Lindsay Light manufactured thorium
mantles impregnated with thorium in the City
of Chicago. The Lindsay Light operation
reportedly originated at 22 W. Hubbard and
later moved to 161 E. Grand and 316 E.
Illinois in Chicago, Illinois. Thorium-containing
ore apparently was processed at 316 E.
Illinois into liquid thorium nitrate which was
used to make gas light mantles at 161 E.
Grand. Details regarding Lindsay Light
operations at 22 W. Hubbard are sketchy.
From the early 1900s until the early 1920s,
Lindsay Light occupied the five-story building
at 22 W. Hubbard, however, it is not known
which operations took place at this location.
Lindsay Light moved to the City of West
Chicago, Illinois and closed its Streeterville
operations by about 1936. The Lindsay Light
operations in West Chicago resulted in four
Superfund sites including over 670 residential
properties which were cleaned up pursuant to
U.S. EPA orders.
PROCEDURES
If subsurface thorium wastes are uncovered
without proper environmental controls, workers
and the public may be exposed to elevated
radiation levels. Also, if not managed properly,
the radioactive materials may be spread to
other locations. The City of Chicago has
prepared a generic health and safety work plan
for the Streeterville area that is available at the
City's Department of Environment. If your
work involves removing the asphalt, concrete
or other materials covering subsurface soils or
tunneling, digging or otherwise intruding into
subsurface soils, the following radiation survey
testing procedures performed by a qualified
person under the direction of a radiation health
physicist must be followed. The results should
be presented in a written report sent to U.S.
EPA. This report should be detailed enough
that someone not present would be able to
determine that these radiation surveillance
procedures were followed. Please call U.S.
EPA 48 hours prior to performing a walkover
survey so that we may observe. This report
-------
should be given to U.S. EPA prior to breaking
ground in Streeterville.
Taking Radiation Measurements
• Determine the site radiation level.
Hold a gamma-ray survey probe
(sodium iodide detector) about 6 inches
off the ground and walk the entire area
along parallel lines about 3 - 4 feet
apart. The site background level is
determined by looking at the lowest
count rate readings and looking for
spots and regions of elevated radiation
levels. If background readings appear
to be elevated over expectations, U.S.
EPA may ask for an off-site
determination of background for the
area.
• Quantify exposure environment.
Take readings of 30 second counts, on
contact with the ground, at intervals of
10 feet along parallel lines five feet
apart to quantify the exposure
environment (these include background
levels). Next, take readings at selected
spots where initial readings were over
twice the background level.
• Assess an anomaly.
If readings indicate anomalies, then
subsurface gamma-ray count rate
readings and soil samples will need to
be collected. These samples will need
to be analyzed for radionuclide
identification and quantification.
However, gathering samples may
generate hazardous waste and may
contaminate workers and equipment,
so this phase should not be done
without a U.S. EPA reviewed health
and safety plan and a means of
disposing of contaminated soil,
protective clothing, etc.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have questions about these procedures,
equipment specifications, or thorium
contamination in Streeterville, please contact:
Verneta Simon
On-Scene Coordinator
Superfund Division (SE-5J)
(312)886-3601
simon.verneta@epa.gov
Eugene Jablonowski
Senior Health Physicist
Superfund Division (SMF-4J)
(312)886-4591
jablonowski.eugene@epa.gov
24-hour response number
(312)353-2318
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.
WEB SITE
This and additional updates can be found at
the following web site:
www.epa.gov.regionS/sites/
Scroll down through the list to find the Lindsay
Light II/RV3 North Columbus Drive site.
Additional information about thorium is
available at:
www.epa.gov.superfund/resources/
radiation/pdf/thorium.pdf
------- |