April 1st, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the start of a cleanup of radium-contaminated soil at the former Silbert Watch Co. site at 1409 Dundee Ave. in Elgin, Illinois. EPA anticipates the cleanup will be completed by early summer, weather dependent.
The cleanup includes installing a fence, clearing shrubbery, collecting soil samples, removing contaminated soil, backfilling with clean soil and monitoring dust in the air. EPA will remove approximately 10-15 truckloads of radium-impacted soil and debris to a licensed hazardous material facility. Final radiation surveys, soil sampling, and analysis will be performed to verify the work meets federal and state clean up goals. During the cleanup, residents can expect increased vehicle activity in the area.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency referred the site to EPA for assessment and clean up. EPA and IEMA conducted several investigations at the Silbert Watch site from 2020 to 2023. These investigations included above-ground radiation surveys and investigations to identify debris below the surface. Crews drilled into the ground, inserted radiation detectors, collected and analyzed soil samples, and estimated the volume of radium-impacted soil and debris.
Radium has been used in numerous applications following its discovery more than 100 years ago. Once a popular additive in consumer products, authorities in many countries prohibited the use of radium due to health effects from long-term exposure. Silbert Watch used radium-based paint to manufacture luminous watch dials and hands at the site from 1954 to 1971. After Silbert Watch discontinued operations, the building was used by a mattress store until a fire destroyed the structure. Based on EPA’s historical imagery reviews, the building was demolished between 1994 and 1999. The neighboring parcel at 670 Stewart Ave. had a now-demolished single-family house. EPA’s cleanup will also include this area.
To learn more, visit the Silbert Watch website.
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