EPA to Begin Cleanup at Former Silbert Watch Co. Site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin a federal cleanup project on Thursday, April 3 at the former Silbert Watch Co. site at 1409 Dundee Ave., addressing radium-contaminated soil left behind from manufacturing activities.

From 1954 to 1971, the Silbert Watch Company used radium-based paint to produce luminous watch dials and hands - a practice once common in the watchmaking industry, but now known to pose health risks.

Though public health studies suggest residents, workers and trespassers have only a low increased risk of cancer from past exposure to the radium contaminated soil, the EPA is moving forward with remediation to eliminate any potential hazard.

Cleanup efforts are expected to be completed by early summer, weather permitting. The EPA work will include:

• Install fencing and remove overgrown vegetation
• Collect soil samples and excavate contaminated material
• Replace removed soil with clean fill
• Monitor air quality for dust during excavation

Officials estimate 10 to 15 truckloads of contaminated soil and debris will be removed and taken to a licensed hazardous waste facility. Final radiation testing will confirm the site meets federal and state safety standards.

The project follows a joint investigation by the EPA and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency from 2020 to 2023, which included extensive soil testing and radiation surveys.

The Silbert Watch Company operated at the site from 1954 to 1971 and used radium-based paint in the manufacture of luminous watch dials and hands. The structure was later used by a mattress store and was ultimately destroyed by fire. The EPA's cleanup will also include a neighboring parcel at 670 Stewart Ave., which previously held a single-family residence.