The Radium Chemical Company operated in Queens, New York from the mid-1950s through 1983, leasing radium-226 sealed in metal tubes to hospitals for cancer treatment. After the facility was abandoned, roughly 120 curies of radioactive material remained on site. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in November 1989 and began addressing the contamination shortly after.
Radium was the contaminant of concern, found in soil and solid waste at the site. EPA evaluated the amount and type of radium present and assessed the health and environmental risks before selecting a cleanup approach. The designated cleanup area is Operable Unit 1, where the selected remedy included excavation, overpacking, decontamination, onsite treatment, and offsite disposal.
Cleanup happened in two stages. Early removal work from July 1988 through June 1990 repackaged all radioactive needles and shipped them to a Nevada disposal facility, and contaminated debris, tools, and materials were taken away. The main remedial action ran from June 1990 through September 1994. Workers completely dismantled the contaminated building and removed about 812 tons of radioactive soil and debris along with 92 tons of radioactively contaminated hazardous waste. In total, 118.6 curies of high-activity waste and 188.9 millicuries of low-activity waste were removed. Masonry, concrete, lead, and structural steel were either disposed of or recycled.
Today, human exposure is under control and groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Ongoing monitoring confirms that affected groundwater stays within the original contamination area. Construction was completed on September 21, 1994, and EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List on March 24, 1995. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on June 15, 2006, meaning all cleanup goals have been met for current and future land uses.
Community members with questions can reach the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager directly. Site documents, including administrative records from the removal actions and the Record of Decision, are available for in-person review at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York, New York.
