Ottawa Radiation Areas
Site Information
- Record of Decision September 2003 (PDF, 100pp, 5MB)
- Record of Decision September 8, 2000
- Alias(es): Ottawa Radon Buildings, Ottawa Luminous Processes, Ottawa City Landfill Strip Mine
Contact Information
Community Involvement Coordinator
Cheryl Allen (allen.cheryl@epa.gov)
312-353-6196 or 800-621-8431, ext. 36196
Remedial Project Manager
Denise Boone (boone.denise@epa.gov)
312-886-6217
Repositories
(where to view written records)
Reddick Library
1010 Canal Street
Ottawa, IL
Background
The Ottawa Radiation Areas site, located in LaSalle County, Illinois, consists of 16 areas polluted by radioactive materials. The 16 areas are scattered throughout the city of Ottawa and places outside the city. The areas were put on the National Priorities List as one site because the same wastes polluted each area.
The pollution came from the Radium Dial Co. (from 1918 to 1936) and Luminous Processes, Inc. (from 1937 to 1978). These businesses made glow-in-the-dark dials for clocks and watches using radium-based paint. Building demolition material and soil, polluted with radioactive waste, were used as fill material in the Ottawa area. Many of the 16 areas are residential sections and include some buildings.
EPA removed the polluted soil in the residential areas first and is now working to clean up the rest of the areas.
Meeting Information Packet PDFs
Site Updates | News Releases | Fact Sheets || Legal Agreements || Public Meetings
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Site Updates
News Releases
- EPA begins new cleanup in Ottawa, Ill.; meeting March 25, 7 p.m. March 16, 2009
- EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for Contaminated Soil at Ottawa Radiation Site; Comment Period Begins, Public Meeting July 30, 7 P.M. July 18, 2003
- Pilkington to Investigate Ottawa Township Site December 17, 2001
Fact Sheets
- Cleanup Activities to Begin at Radiation Property (PDF) (2pp., 102K) March 2009
- Cleanup Plan Proposed for Radiation Property (PDF) (6pp, 363K) February 2007
- EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for 2 Areas and Future Situations (PDF) (8pp, 88K) July 2003
- EPA Response to Questions Posed by Area Residents (PDF) (6pp, 694K) April 2003
- EPA Outlines Cleanup Plan for Radiation Areas (PDF) (2pp, 44K) December 2002
Legal Agreements
- Record of Decision September 2003
- Record of Decision September 8, 2000
Public Meetings
- EPA held a public meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.
- EPA had a comment period February 12 - March 5, 2007 on the proposed cleanup plan for the parking lot known as the LPI Adjacent Area.
- A public meeting was held on Wednesday, July 30, 2003
- EPA, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, and LaSalle County Department of Health held two availability sessions April 23, 2003.
- EPA held community interviews January 15-16, 2003.