Chicago North, Illinois, Site

Background

The Chicago North, Illinois, Site was remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). FUSRAP was established in 1974 to remediate sites where radioactive contamination remained from Manhattan Project and early U.S. Atomic Energy Commission operations.

History

The Chicago North Site is owned by the State of Illinois and used as a National Guard Armory. Between 1942 and 1951, the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) used the building to store and process uranium metal and as the central procurement and shipping location for the MED Metallurgical Laboratory. In 1951, MED’s successor, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, terminated use of the building and the property was returned to the State of Illinois.

Radiological characterizations of the site in 1977, 1978, and 1987 indicated that residual radioactive contamination exceeded DOE guidelines. In 1987, DOE removed radiological contamination from interior building surfaces and exterior catch basins and soils. DOE certified that the site complied with applicable cleanup criteria and released the property for unrestricted use in 1989.

Final Conditions

No supplemental limits or institutional controls are in effect at the site, and DOE does not require on-site monitoring or surveillance. Office of Legacy Management long-term stewardship responsibilities consist of managing FUSRAP site records and responding to stakeholder inquiries.  

For more information about the Chicago North FUSRAP Site, view the fact sheet.