The foundry previously used unlicensed quantities of radioactive thorium as a hardener to produce lightweight castings for the Department of Defense, and Ameriphysics was contracted to characterize, excavate, and dispose of approximately 11 million pounds of radioactive material buried outdoors and beneath normally occupied work spaces. The project involved saw cutting interior floors and demolition of an 18,000 square foot warehouse in order to access buried materials. All work was accomplished under Ameriphysics’ radioactive materials license, and Ameriphysics designed and performed MARSSIM-based final status surveys that were used to demonstrate compliance against the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s dose-based release criteria.
Remediation, Demolition, and Decommissioning of a Radiologically Impacted Foundry – Blue Island, IL
