Location

About the Harshaw Site From 1944 to 1959, the former Harshaw Chemical Company was contracted by the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to produce uranium for isotopic separation and enrichment in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In 1960, the site was released for unrestricted use by the AEC, following decontamination efforts by Harshaw Chemical. Today, the site is being considered for the Towpath Trail extension.

Project Status

The Corps of Engineers completed a Preliminary Assessment of the site in April 2001, which recommended additional investigations to determine the extent of FUSRAP-related contamination at the site. A Historic Photographic Analysis Report and a Remedial Investigation (RI) Report were complete in 2006.

During the development of the 2006 RI Report and the Baseline Risk Assessment, the Corps identified the presence of another radioactive element (Thorium) on the site and obtained additional historical documents which indicated other MED/AEC processes may have taken place at the site. As a result, additional investigations were performed. The 2006 RI Report was revised in 2009 to include the additional data collected to define the nature and extent and risk posed by the radionuclides not included in the original RI Report.

The Corps of Engineers is now entering the Feasibility Study Phase of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act process to identify and evaluate potential remedial alternatives to eliminate risks to human health and the environment appropriate for the future land use of the site.

This information session with the Army Corps. will have a discussion on the Remedial Investigation findings (The revised report is available at the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn Branch, 4480 Ridge Road and is available online here).