Rare Earths Facility
Encyclopedia
The Rare Earths Facility was a production plant for various chemicals and metals including thorium
, uranium
, and radium
. It was located in West Chicago, Illinois
, USA.
to produce elements, including thorium
and uranium
. It also made gaslight
mantles and during World War II it made hydrofluoric acid
In 1958 it became owned by American Potash and Chemical Company
, which at one point had a 'Lindsay Chemical Division'..
In 1967 AMPOT, and thus the facility, were bought by Kerr-McGee Corporation.
In around 1970, Kerr-McGee reorganized and AMPOT became the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation. The Rare Earths Facility was closed by Kerr-McGee in 1973.
In 2005 KMCC was spun off from Kerr-McGee as Tronox
, shortly before Kerr-McGee was bought by Anadarko Petroleum. Tronox inherited responsibility for the Rare Earths Facility and other sites. Tronox went bankrupt in 2009 and shareholders sued Anadarko Petroleum, partly for having misled investors in Tronox about its environmental debts.
Radioactive waste from the plant was put in a local landfill that later became a public park called Reed-Keppler Park.
Kress Creek and West Branch Dupage River (including sediments, banks, and floodplains) were contaminated by years of rainwater runoff from REF going into a storm sewer and then into the creek. The floodplain includes people's yards.
The West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant was contaminated when mill tailings from REF were used as fill dirt there. This also resulted in pollution of the West Branch Dupage River from runoff
and erosion
.
In 1991 the Illinois Department of Public Health
found elevated cancer rates in the community.
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
, uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, and radium
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
. It was located in West Chicago, Illinois
West Chicago, Illinois
West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,469 at the 2000 census. It was formerly named Turner Junction after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in 1855...
, USA.
History
The site was opened in 1931 by the Lindsay Light and Chemical Company It processed ores like monaziteMonazite
Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare earth metals. It occurs usually in small isolated crystals. There are actually at least four different kinds of monazite, depending on relative elemental composition of the mineral:...
to produce elements, including thorium
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. It also made gaslight
Gaslight
Gaslight may refer to:* Gas lighting, the use of flammable gas such as natural gas as a light source* Gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse* Gas Light a Patrick Hamilton stage play...
mantles and during World War II it made hydrofluoric acid
Hydrofluoric acid
Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water. It is a valued source of fluorine and is the precursor to numerous pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine and diverse materials such as PTFE ....
In 1958 it became owned by American Potash and Chemical Company
American Potash and Chemical Company
American Potash and Chemical Company was a large chemical manufacturer in the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. It produced various chemicals for US industry and the US military...
, which at one point had a 'Lindsay Chemical Division'..
In 1967 AMPOT, and thus the facility, were bought by Kerr-McGee Corporation.
In around 1970, Kerr-McGee reorganized and AMPOT became the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation. The Rare Earths Facility was closed by Kerr-McGee in 1973.
In 2005 KMCC was spun off from Kerr-McGee as Tronox
Tronox
Tronox, Inc. is an Oklahoma City based chemical company involved in the manufacture of titanium dioxide pigment.It was formerly the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation. .- History :...
, shortly before Kerr-McGee was bought by Anadarko Petroleum. Tronox inherited responsibility for the Rare Earths Facility and other sites. Tronox went bankrupt in 2009 and shareholders sued Anadarko Petroleum, partly for having misled investors in Tronox about its environmental debts.
Pollution
In the early years, people from the surrounding community used the mill tailings as fill dirt in various properties, such as their yards and gardens.. A woman who played in such a yard as a child later sued Kerr-McGee over her Hodgkin's disease and settled out of court in 1988.Radioactive waste from the plant was put in a local landfill that later became a public park called Reed-Keppler Park.
Kress Creek and West Branch Dupage River (including sediments, banks, and floodplains) were contaminated by years of rainwater runoff from REF going into a storm sewer and then into the creek. The floodplain includes people's yards.
The West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant was contaminated when mill tailings from REF were used as fill dirt there. This also resulted in pollution of the West Branch Dupage River from runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
and erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
.
In 1991 the Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Department of Public Health
The Illinois Department of Public Health is a state agency of Illinois, headquartered in Springfield. The agency promotes public health.-External links:*...
found elevated cancer rates in the community.