February 07, 2025
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Photos: Last Ottawa radium Superfund site to begin cleanup

By Scott Anderson
Image 1 of 6
An aerial view of the last of the Ottawa radium disposal Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site just south of the Illinois Route 71 and U.S. Route 6 intersection on Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Ottawa. The EPA will start cleanup soon thanks to $90 million from the infrastructure bill. The 17-acre parcel contains the last remaining contamination from the radium dial painting that took place in the early part of the 20th century. Cleanup will allow the city of Ottawa to reclaim the land and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. The project will see about 200,000 tons of contaminated material removed from the site. Contamination originated from the Radium Dial company that operated in Ottawa from 1918 to 1930, a company that painted the face of clocks manufactured at Westclox in Peru.

An aerial view of the last of the Ottawa radium disposal Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites just south of the Route 71 and U.S. 6 intersection on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The EPA will start cleanup soon thanks to $90 million from the federal infrastructure bill. (Scott Anderson)

Scott Anderson

Scott Anderson

Over 15 years covering news, sports and events in the Illinois Valley. Support my work with a digital subscription.