Luminous Processes, Inc. was a one-acre facility west of Athens, Georgia, that made luminous watch and clock dials from 1952 to 1978 using radioactive material. The company abandoned the property in 1980 without completing decontamination. EPA proposed the site for the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in October 1981, triggering a formal cleanup process.
Soil was the affected medium. The main health risks involve people ingesting or touching contaminated soil. Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) led cleanup starting in 1982, working alongside EPA. The state excavated contaminated soil, removed more than 2,400 drums of chemicals, and sent the material to an off-site disposal facility. Workers then filled the excavated areas with clean soil and secured the site with fencing and warning signs. Georgia EPD finished all cleanup activities within five months, and EPA confirmed construction was complete by December 1982.
EPA removed the site from the NPL in 1982 after determining all necessary cleanup had been done. Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site. However, the site is not yet ready for all anticipated uses because one or more cleanup goals or required land-use controls have not been fully met. EPA has determined the site does not require Five-Year Reviews, so no ongoing monitoring is mandated.
One business now operates on the site, employing 30 people and generating roughly $1.77 million in annual sales revenue. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program has supported bringing the site back to productive use.
Community members who want more information can contact the Remedial Project Manager. During the active cleanup period, EPA held public notices and meetings and conducted interviews to keep residents informed. The site profile page remains available as a historical record.
