Harshaw Chemical

Harshaw Chemical of Cleveland, Ohio refined black oxide and sodium diuranate to orange oxide and then to brown oxide for the Manhattan Project during World War II. The final result was a “green salt”, which the Manhattan Project used to produce uranium hexafluoride for enrichment into weapons grade fuel for nuclear weapons at the gaseous diffusion plants. Harshaw also produced uranium hexafluoride during the war and this production activity was expanded in 1947. Harshaw production was reduced in 1951 and by May of 1953 the green salt plant was dismantled and the hexafluoride plant was placed on standby. The contract for removal of AEC equipment continued until September 30, 1955. This designation is limited to the Harshaw facility located at 1000 Harvard Avenue, Cleveland and generally referred to as the Harvard-Denison plant.
During the period of residual contamination, as designated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and as noted in the dates above, employees of subsequent owners and operators of this facility are also covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.
Harshaw Chemical Company was acquired by Kewaunee Oil Company in 1964. Kewaunee Oil was then acquired by the Gulf Oil Company in 1976. Kaiser Chemical Company acquired Harshaw interests in 1982.

Alternative Names

• Harshaw Denison Plant
• Harshaw Filtrol Partners
• Uranium Refinery

Type of Facility

• Atomic Weapons Employer

Covered by EEOICPA

• Part B

EEOICPA Covered Years

• 1942-1955 (AWE)
• 1956-March 1, 2011 (residual radiation)

Army Corps of Engineers

• FUSRAP-Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste

DOE

• DOE Facility List by Name
• FUSRAP Considered Site

DOL

• Tracking your DOL Claim Status
• Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health
• Ombudsman’s Office
• Resource Center
• DOL Case and Claim Statistics
• Approved Special Exposure Cohorts
• Bulletin 07-16: Processing Claims for a new Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Class for covered employees of the Harshaw Chemical Company’s Harvard-Denison Plant in Cleveland, OH, August 14, 1942 through November 30, 1949

NIOSH

• FAQs About Your Case
• Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health
• AWE Site Wide Documents
• NIOSH Case Statistics
• Special Exposure Cohort Status Table
  • Petition 066: “Atomic Weapons employees who were monitored or should have been monitored while working at the Harshaw Harvard-Denison Plant located at 1000 Harvard Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio from August 14, 1942 through November 30, 1949, and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.”
• Work Site Information

Other Resources

• Waste Lands-America’s Forgotten Nuclear Legacy Database