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Lindsay Light Company Sites

Site Information
  • Chicago, IL (Cook County)
  • There are several Superfund sites associated with Lindsay Light Company
Lindsay Light I
  • 161 East Grand Avenue
    Chicago, IL
  • EPA ID# ILN000509092
  • CERCLIS listing
  • non-NPL
Lindsay Light II
  • 316 East Illinois
    Chicago, IL
  • EPA ID# IL0000002212
  • CERCLIS listing
  • non-NPL
Lindsay Light II site /RV3 North Columbus Drive
  • also known as Grand Pier
  • 200 block of East Illinois Street directly across the street from Lindsay Light II
  • EPA expanded the Lindsay Light II cleanup project to included the North Columbus Drive property
Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Mike Joyce (joyce.mike@epa.gov)
312-353-5546 or 800-621-8431, ext. 35546

On-Scene Coordinator
Verneta Simon
(simon.verneta@epa.gov)
312-886-3601 or 800-621-8431, ext. 63601

Senior Health Physicist
Gene Jablonowski (jablonowski.eugene@epa.gov)
312-886-4591 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64591

Office of Regional Counsel
Attorneys
Mary Fulghum (fulghum.mary@epa.gov)
312-886-4683 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64683

Cathleen Martwick (martwick.cathleen@epa.gov)
312-886-7166 or 800-621-8431, ext. 67166

Repositories

(where to view written records)

Harold Washington Library Center
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State St.
Chicago, IL

EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Kerr-McGee Superfund Sites

Thorium

Chicago Department of Environment Exit EPA Disclaimer

Apply for a Streeterville Right-of-Way or Property Permit Exit EPA Disclaimer

Illinois Emergency Management Agency: Dept. of Nuclear Safety Exit EPA Disclaimer

Chicago Park District Exit EPA Disclaimer

Background

The Lindsay Light Company manufactured incandescent gaslight mantles for home and street lighting at several addresses in Chicago's downtown Streeterville neighborhood until the mid 1930s. The Lindsay Light Company used the radioactive chemical thorium nitrate to manufacture their gaslight mantles.

US EPA first discovered thorium contamination at Lindsay Light's Illinois St. location in 1993; further investigations have discovered thorium in the soil at more than a dozen locations. Thorium contaminated soil is not considered to be a threat to human health and the environment if it is covered by an intact hard surface of sufficient thickness such as concrete or asphalt. Fortunately, almost all locations in the Streeterville neighborhood were covered by hard surfaces.

To protect human health and the environment, EPA and the City of Chicago developed a system requiring anyone planning to remove hard surfaces in the area to test the soil if EPA suspected the property might have thorium contamination. (read complete background)

Site Updates | Current Projects | Fact Sheets || Technical Documents | Radiation Reports

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Site Updates

Current Projects

Future DuSable Park

Fact Sheets

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Technical Documents

Right of Way Thorium Survey Reports

EPA has agreed to host a web-based repository of radiation testing reports and other technical documents for the benefit of those conducting work within the rights-of way. These reports allow private utilities companies and city departments to easily check to see if an area has already been tested and determined to be clear of contamination, or if the area has never been investigated and still needs to be tested.

See this map on a separate page

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