Rare Earths Facility

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Buildings at the abandoned Rare Earths Facility (June 2013 photo)

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.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

The site was opened in 1931 by the Lindsay Light and Chemical Company. It processed ores like monazite to produce elements, including thorium and uranium. It also made gaslight mantles, and during World War II, hydrofluoric acid.[11]

In 1958, it became owned by American Potash and Chemical Company (AMPOT),[11] which at one point had a 'Lindsay Chemical Division.'[4]

In 1967, AMPOT, and thus the facility, were bought by Kerr-McGee. The Rare Earths Facility were closed by Kerr-McGee in 1973.

In 2005, KMCC was spun off from Kerr-McGee as Tronox, shortly before Kerr-McGee was acquired 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.[5][6][7][10][11]

Pollution

See also

References

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