A radioactive waste site in Anderson County will receive $13.5 million in federal and state funding, and cleanup could start as early as this December.
Tennessee Lookout reports that in the 1960’s American Nuclear Corporation, in Claxton, Tennessee, began manufacturing radiological sources for medical institutions. Tests reportedly confirmed the company leaked radioactive chemicals into the environment for years and ANC shutdown in 1972 and abandoned the property.
The State of Tennessee took over the site and began initial cleanup but remediation was never completed. So for over 50 years, the radioactive waste has been a growing concern for both residents and Anderson County government who see the overgrown site as a health threat, security concern and an eyesore.
Cleanup must begin within the next six months and it’s estimated to be finished within 18 months of starting. It’s not immediately known if the land will go back to Anderson County but an official with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said he understands that the site will be cleaned up to “an unlimited reuse status.”