ottawa radiation areas

RTE 6 & RTE 71, OTTAWA AREA

The Ottawa Radiation Areas, located in LaSalle County, Illinois, consists of 16 areas, contaminated by radioactive materials. The 16 areas are scattered throughout the city of Ottawa as well as locales outside the city. They've been added to the National Priorities List (NPL) as one site, because they are contaminated by the same wastes, involve the same potentially responsible parties (PRPs), and require cleanup activities for the same media. It's believed that the contamination originated from the processing of wastes and demolition debris from the Radium Dial Co. from 1918 to 1936 and Luminous Processes, Inc. from 1937 to 1978. These businesses produced luminous dials for clocks and watches, using radium-based paint. It was discovered that radioactive waste from the two companies had been used as filler materials in the Ottawa area. Fourteen contaminated areas in and near Ottawa, Illinois, were identified by radiation surveys performed by the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS), the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Many of the 14 areas are residential sections and include some buildings. The homes of approximately 50 people were built on soil contaminated by radioactive materials. Approximately 24,207 people live in Ottawa. Site Responsibility This site is being addressed through federal and state actions.