The Madison Site was part of an operating facility formerly known as Dow Chemical Company, a division of Dow Metal Products. The firm worked with Mallinckrodt Chemical to support Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) needs during the late 1950s and early 1960s. A uranium-extrusion and rod-straightening facility was operated at the site.

A 1989 survey indicated Building 6 contained low-level radioactive contamination in dust located on overhead surfaces. About 2 cubic yards of contaminated uranium/thorium dust exceeding guidelines was identified from the Manhattan Engineer District and the Atomic Energy Commission (MED/AEC) operations on roof beams at the facility. In 1992, the Madison Site was added to the FUSRAP list of sites slated for cleanup. The FUSRAP site is located within a limited area of an active facility. The plant is in heavy production use, extruding aluminum and magnesium metal. As cleanup is ultimately necessary, the operator is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to identify an available time frame for cleanup. It is the intent of the facility owner and USACE that production operations won't be disrupted during cleanup and that the safety of maintenance and production personnel continues to be protected.

With a $500,000 budget for fiscal year 1999 (FY99), USACE developed a Characterization Report for the Madison Site. Samples were taken to validate existing site data, define site contamination and update the risk associated with it. The Characterization Report confirmed the presence of contamination associated with MED/AEC activities in dust on overhead surfaces in two buildings, while the floors and equipment were below criteria.

In February 2000, four remedial alternatives were identified to address the contamination on overhead surfaces at the Madison Site. These alternatives were presented to the public for review and comment in a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and Proposed Plan (PP). Based on the comments received from the general public and regulatory agencies, USACE selected "Decontamination of Accessible Surfaces" (Alternative 4) as the final remedy for the site.

The Madison Site Record of Decision (ROD) outlined the final cleanup method selected to address contamination at the site. Comments on the Feasibility Study received from the public and USACE's responses to those comments were incorporated into a section of the Madison Site ROD title the Responsiveness Summary. Upon approval of the Madison Site ROD, USACE began decontamination activities in June 2000.

Uranium-contaminated dust was vacuumed from overhead structures over a 12-day period. By mid-July, independent surveys confirmed that USACE had successfully decontaminated the Madison Site. Forty cubic yards of contaminated dust and materials were sent to a licensed, out-of-state facility for disposal.

The current condition of the site is documented in the approved Final Madison Site Post Remedial Action Report (PRAR), dated September 2000. This report provides an overall summary of remedial actions conducted at the site, assesses their effectiveness in meeting the criteria established in the Madison Site Record of Decision (ROD), dated April 2000, and serves as the closure report for the site. The FUSRAP remediation of AEC materials at the Madison Site achieved unrestricted release. However, it is important to note that the site is currently operating under a separate Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS) licensed process that isn't related to the AEC. While the remediation of AEC contamination achieved radiological criteria for unrestricted use, non-AEC portions of the facility will need to meet the criteria for license termination in the future. The approved Declaration of Remedial Action Completion Statement, the Final Madison Site Post-Remedial Action Report and other supporting information have been placed with the site Administrative Record, which may be viewed at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FUSRAP Project Office, in Berkeley, Missouri, and/or at the Madison Public Library in Madison, Illinois.

Fiscal year 2002 (FY02) Goals Met

In FY02, Madison was removed from the list of active FUSRAP sites. In accordance with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USACE and the Department of Energy (DOE), site stewardship consisting of records management was transferred to DOE. Information regarding this site may now be obtained from DOE's Office of Legacy Management, which provides long-term surveillance and maintenance of the site.