Background

The Chicago South, 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

In 1941, the National Defense Research Committee contracted the University of Chicago to construct a uranium and graphite pile to investigate the production of plutonium for use in the development of the atomic bomb. That same year the work was transferred to the Metallurgical Laboratory, where it continued until 1946 when the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was created. Work continued under the AEC contract through 1952 when the nuclear activities were transferred to the new Argonne National Laboratory. The Chicago South location was decontaminated using standards and techniques of the time.

In 1977, AEC directed Argonne National Laboratory to conduct radiological surveys, which identified only minimal contamination in Ekhart Hall and the Kent, Jones, and Ryerson Laboratories. Remediation of those areas was completed in 1987 and DOE released the site for unrestricted use by the university in 1990.

Final Conditions

No supplemental limits or institutional controls are in effect at the privately-owned 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 South FUSRAP Site, view the fact sheet.