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  4. Cleanup Sites

Radioactively Contaminated Sites

Radiation Facts
  • The EPA’s Superfund program is the federal government program that identifies and cleans up the most contaminated sites in the nation.
  • Some Superfund sites are radioactively contaminated.

If radioactive materials are manufactured, used, stored, or disposed of improperly, it’s possible for them to contaminate buildings and the environment. Sites contaminated with radioactive material require cleanup. Every site cleanup is different. The actions needed for cleanup depend on a number of factors including the radioactive elements involved, the amount of the material, and the potential for human exposure.

On this page:
  • About Radioactively Contaminated Sites
  • What you can do
  • Where to learn more


About Radioactively Contaminated Sites

Chemical drums. Clicking on this image links to a larger version of the image.
Chemical drums at a newly discovered potential NPL site.

Every site contaminated by radioactive material is different. Contaminated sites can be abandoned or still operational. They can be as small as a corner of a laboratory or as big as an abandoned nuclear weapons plant from the Cold War era. Depending on the type of facility and the type of radiation released, contamination could be found in air, soil, liquids, or on equipment. Once discovered, contaminated sites must be closely monitored to protect people from exposure to radiation. Monitoring and cleanup may be completed by the owner of the facility or the federal government if the site has been abandoned or is no longer operating.

Radioactively contaminated sites are cleaned up under a variety of government programs. The EPA's Superfund program identifies, ranks, and cleans up the most hazardous sites in the United States. An example of a radioactively contaminated Superfund site is the Safety Light Corporation in Pennsylvania, which used radioactive materials, including radium and tritium, in manufacturing commercial products. However, not all Superfund sites are contaminated with radioactive material.

field crew collecting samples in the ground
Field crew collecting soil samples. 

When working to clean up radiological contamination at Superfund sites, workers communicate with the people living around the site to educate these people about why it is important to take precautions around the site and the hazards associated with the site. The community may even be involved in planning the cleanup. When the cleanup plan is complete, the EPA reviews the plan to make sure it protects both people and the environment. The EPA works with law enforcement to make sure that those responsible for the contamination at a site, if they can be identified, are held accountable and pay for site cleanup.

What You Can Do

  • Be informed. Learn about local cleanup activities in your community. Knowing where radioactively contaminated sites are located helps you avoid them, reducing your risk of exposure to radiation. You can find out if there are Superfund sites in your community by checking the EPA’s Superfund site map.
  • Respect safety zones. Often safety zones are set up around contaminated sites. These zones keep people away from hazardous materials. Only trained professionals who understand the hazard and appropriate safety procedures should be inside the safety zones.

Where to Learn More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Superfund

Superfund is the federal government program that identifies and cleans up the worst hazardous substance release sites in the United States. Superfund maintains a National Priorities List of sites contaminated with chemicals, including those sites contaminated with radioactive materials. In general, the EPA evaluates potential Superfund sites through a combination of site assessment and application of the Hazard Ranking System to determine whether it should be placed on the National Priorities List.

Superfund Home webpage
This webpage provides information about the EPA’s Superfund program, including background information on the program, community involvement, cleanup support, and program accomplishments.

Superfund Sites
This webpage provides a list of identified Superfund sites. Use this link to find out what Superfund sites are located in your state.

Superfund: Cleanup Process
This webpage links to information about steps the EPA's Superfund program takes when cleaning up contaminated sites.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) and Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS)

DERP was set up in 1984 to oversee the cleanup of contamination at DOD properties. The program includes the Installation Restoration Program (IRP), which identifies contamination at property the DOD owns or used to own. The DOD is also responsible for environmental restoration of sites that were once used by the United States government, referred to as Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS).

Defense Environmental Restoration Program
This webpage provides program and status updates for the DERP.

Formerly Used Defense Sites Program
This webpage shares information about FUDS and provides links to additional information and frequently asked questions.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP)

The FUSRAP program was started in 1974 by the DOE. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) took it over in 1997. FUSRAP identifies and assesses non-government radioactive sites that were part of the nation's early atomic energy and weapons program. These sites often contain radiological contamination associated with nuclear weapons production and testing. If necessary, the program protects the public from exposure to the radiation by cleaning up a site to meet today's standards or controlling access to the site to prevent anyone from entering.

Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Home webpage
This webpage provides information about FUSRAP and the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in environmental cleanup.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) and Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project

The DOE has authority to cleanup uranium processing sites that were inactive as of 1978, the date when the UMTRCA legislation was passed. The goal of UMTRCA and the UMTRA Project is to keep uranium mill tailing piles and other radioactive wastes from contaminating the environment.

Environmental Management
This website shares information about the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, which manages the risks and hazards posed by nuclear weapons production and research.

Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Sites Fact Sheet (pdf)(248 K)
This fact sheet provides information about the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Title I and Title II disposal and processing sites.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

When facilities apply for a license to use radioactive materials, they must agree to clean up the facility before they terminate the license. The NRC or state inspectors must agree that the facility cleanup is adequate before they will agree to end oversight and release the site for public or restricted use.

Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants
This webpage details the NRC's role in regulation and research regarding decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

Decommissioning of Complex Materials Site
This webpage describes the NRC’s responsibilities for decommissioning other “complex materials” sites.

RadTown

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    • The Park
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      • Radioactively Contaminated Sites
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  • Classroom Materials for Teachers
    • Radiation Protection
      • Teacher Information
      • Vocabulary Activities
      • Activity 1: History of Radiation Protection
      • Activity 2: Time, Distance and Shielding
      • Activity 3: Radiation Warning and Protection Equipment
      • Activity 4: Buildings as Shielding
      • Activity 5: A Career in Radiation Protection
      • Activity 6: Impact of Radiological Emergencies
      • Activity 7: Benefits of Radiation
    • The Radioactive Atom
      • Teacher Information
      • Vocabulary Activities
      • Activity 1: Atomic Discoveries
      • Activity 2: Atomic Math and Shorthand
      • Activity 3: Strong Nuclear Forces
      • Activity 4: Atomic Stability
      • Activity 5: Half-Life
      • Activity 6: Radioactive Decay Chain
    • Radiation Exposure
      • Teacher Information
      • Vocabulary Activities
      • Activity 1: Types of Radiation
      • Activity 2: Sources of Annual Radiation Exposure
      • Activity 3: Penetrating Powers of Ionizing Radiation
      • Activity 4: Exposure Pathways
      • Activity 5: Radiation Health Effects
      • Activity 6: Acute versus Chronic Exposure
    • Radon
      • Teacher Information
      • Vocabulary Activities
      • Activity 1: Ground Up
      • Activity 2: Radon Vacuum
      • Activity 3: Indoor Radon Levels
      • Activity 4: The Half-Life of Radon
    • Uranium
      • Teacher Information
      • Vocabulary Activities
      • Activity 1: Uranium, Radium and Radon
      • Activity 2: Radiation and Uranium Myths and Facts
      • Activity 3: Uranium Ore Sources in the U.S.
      • Activity 4: Uranium Mining Methods
      • Activity 5: Radiation Contamination and Exposure
      • Activity 6: Radiation Cleanup and Advocacy Objectives
  • A to Z Subject Index
  • Women in Radiation History
    • Lise Meitner
    • Chien-Shiung Wu
    • Rosalind Franklin
  • Glossary
Contact Us about RadTown
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on February 19, 2025
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