Radioactively Contaminated Sites
If radioactive materials are used or disposed of improperly, they can contaminate buildings and the
environment. Every site requiring cleanup is different depending on the type of facility, the radioactive elements
involved and the concentration of the radioactive elements.
   •  Superfund is the federal government program that identifies and cleans up the worst hazardous
      substance release sites.

About Radioactively Contaminated Sites

From the type of facility to the type of radiation, every radioactively
contaminated cleanup site is different. Contaminated sites can be
abandoned or still operating. Sites that have radioactive
contamination may be a small corner of a laboratory or an
abandoned nuclear weapons plant from the Cold War era.
Depending on the type of facility and the type of radiation,
contamination could be found in air, liquids, equipment or soil. Once
discovered, these sites are closely monitored to protect people from
exposure to radiation.

EPA's Superfund' program cleans up some radioactively
contaminated sites. When working to clean up radioactive
contamination at Superfund sites,  responders communicate with the
people living around the site about the hazards and involve the
community in planning the cleanup. When the cleanup plan is complete, EPA reviews the plan to make sure it
protects both people and the environment. At certain sites, some of the contamination must be removed
immediately. EPA works with law enforcement to make sure that those responsible for the contamination at a
cleanup site are held accountable.

Rules  and Guidance

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), SUPERFUND

Superfund is the federal government program that identifies and cleans up the worst hazardous substance
release sites.Superfund maintains a National Priorities List" of sites in the United States that are contaminated
with chemicals and radioactive materials.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD), DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAM
(DERP) AND FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES (FUDS)

DERP was set up in 1984 to oversee the  cleanup of contamination at DoD properties. The program includes
the Installation Restoration Program (IRP), which identifies contamination at property DOD owns or used to
own. DoD is also responsible for environmental restoration of sites that were once used by the United States
government,  sites referred to as Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS).
   Burial grounds for low-level
radioactive waste on the Oak Ridge
   Reservation in Tennessee.
  United States Environmental Protection Agency |  Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608T) |  EPA 402-F-14-041 | August 2014 | p. 1

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) AND U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USAGE), FORMERLY
UTILIZED SITES REMEDIAL ACTION PROGRAM (FUSRAP)

The FUSRAP program was started in 1974 by the DOE. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers took it over in 1997.  FUSRAP identifies and
assesses non-government radioactive sites that were part of the
Nation's early atomic energy  and weapons program. If necessary, the
program protects the public from exposure to the radiation by cleaning
up a site to meet today's standards or control the site to prevent
anyone from entering.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE), URANIUM MILL TAILINGS
REMEDIAL ACTION PROGRAM (UMTRAP)

DOE has the authority to clean up uranium processing sites that were
out of business as of 1978. The goal is to keep uranium mill tailing
piles and other radioactive wastes from contaminating  the
environment.
 Contaminated soil being loaded
into a truck with a former plutonium
    production reactor in the
         background.
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC)

When facilities apply for a license to use radioactive materials, they must agree to clean up the facility before
they go out of business and stop using materials. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or state inspectors must
agree that the facility cleanup is adequate before they will agree to end oversight and release it for public or
restricted use.

What you can do

Be Informed: Learn about local cleanup activities.  Knowing where radioactively contaminated sites are helps
you avoid them and reduce your risk of exposure. You can find out if there are Superfund sites in your
community by checking the Superfund site map'".
Respect Safety Zones: Often, safety zones are set up around contaminated sites. These zones keep people
away from hazardous materials. Only trained professionals who understand the hazard and appropriate safety
procedures should be inside the safety zones.

Where to  learn more

You can learn more about radioactively contaminated sites by visiting the resources available on the following
webpage: http://www.epa.gov/radtown/contaminated-sites.htmltflearn-more.
 http://www.epa.gov/superfund/
' http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/index.htm
" http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
  United States Environmental Protection Agency | Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (6608T) | EPA 402-F-14-041 | August 2014 | p. 2

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