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National Information |
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Superfund Program
Denver Radium Site
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Site Type: Completed NPL City: Denver County: Denver Street Address: Various places in Denver Zip Code: 80204 EPA ID#: COD980716955 Site ID#: 0800247 Site Aliases: Various Congressional District(s): 01 |
Site Description
Radioactive soils and debris were abandoned in Denver, Colorado after the city's radium industry collapsed in the 1920s. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), EPA and responsible parties worked together on the cleanup.The site consists of more than 65 properties combined into 11 Operable Units (OUs). Radium was used for commercial purposes in the early 1900s when Denver ore processing facilities provided a domestic source to meet that demand. After the radium industry's collapse, numerous locations were left with radioactive residues. These residues were often used as fill, for paving materials or left in place.
The Denver Radium Site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1983.
Cleanup is now complete. Most of the Denver radium properties continue to be used for business or open space. Redevelopment has occurred at several of the cleaned-up properties. The last step of the remediation process was the removal of all radioactive materials from the site of the former Shattuck Chemical Company Site, OU8, which was completed in July 2006.
Since waste is left in place, EPA will continue to conduct five-year reviews to ensure that the remedy remains protective. The most recent review was completed in September 2008. The next five-year review will be completed by September, 2013.
Site Risk
Contaminants at the site included radium, thorium, uranium, arsenic, lead and radon gas. Radium is of most concern. Radon gas emitted from decaying radium causes lung cancer. However, radon is only a health risk if the gas is concentrated in buildings where people can be exposed for long periods of time.
| Media Affected | Contaminants | Source of Contamination |
| Air, soils, groundwater | Radium, thorium, uranium, arsenic, lead, radon gas | Ore processing for radium |
Cleanup Progress
Cleanup approaches included: removal of contaminated soil to a permanent offsite disposal site; installation of ventilation systems for radon gas; and stabilization. At some properties waste was left in place. Institutional controls have been placed on these properties to ensure long-term protectiveness. The City and County of Denver is removing contamination underlying streets as part of a routine street maintenance.
The Final Close Out Report for the Denver Radium Superfund Site was completed September 25, 2006. The site is ready for reuse. The Shattuck site was sold in 2007 and current plans are for a mixed residential/commercial development.
Community Involvement
A notice that the third Five-Year Review was underway was placed in Denver newspapers in September, 2008. The public review process included contact with each property owner and with each affected neighborhood organization. Mailings were sent to interested stakeholders with a description of the Denver Radium Site and ongoing actions. Comment cards were included in this mailing that could be returned with comments regarding the Five-year review.Site Documents
The documents below are Adobe PDF filesAbout PDF files
Denver Radium Final Close Out Report, September 25, 2006
NOTE: the best way to open the VERY large PDF file above (104 pp, 8 MB) is to right-click and save to a folder
A Special Five-Year Review was conducted for Shattuck, OU8 of the Denver Radium Superfund Site, on December 21, 1999. The 2003 Denver Radium Five-Year Review included Shattuck. The next site-wide review is due in 2013. EPA provides an annual update (see link below) on five-year review activities.
Remediation for OU8 is now complete and further details can be found in the attached Shattuck Fact Sheet and in the Special Five-Year Review for Shattuck.
Site-wide 5-Year Review--all Operable Units
2008 Five-Year Review (6 MB)
Appendix A: Site Photos (3 MB)
Appendix B: Ground Water Monitoring Report (836K)
2008 Five-Year Review Figures (3 MB)
Special 5-Year Review--Shattuck only
Special Shattuck Five-Year Review (OU 8
Only) December 21, 1999 (PDF, 7.8 MB)
Best way to open this LARGE file: right-click, select "Save Target As" and save to a folder
Shattuck Special Five-Year Review Update July 2006 (PDF 40 KB)
Shattuck Fact Sheet July 2006 (PDF 49 KB)
Contacts
Rebecca Thomas
EPA Project Manager
U.S. EPA Region (EPR-SR)
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
(303) 312-6552 or
1-800-227-8917 ext. 6552 (Reg. 8 only)
Email: thomas.rebecca@epa.gov
John Dalton
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
(303-312-6633 or
1-800-227-8917 ext. 6633 (Reg. 8 only)
Email: dalton.john@epa.gov
Mark Rudolph
CDPHE Project Manager
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
(303) 692-3311
Email: mark.rudolph@state.co.us
