Mound Laboratory

In 1943, the Manhattan Engineer District began the Dayton Project to investigate the chemistry and metallurgy of polonium. From 1943 to 1948, this work was performed at several locations throughout Dayton, Ohio, all of which were too small to perform the mission. The Mound Plant was constructed in 1947 in Miamisburg, Ohio, to replace these earlier work locations. This plant was first occupied in May 1948 and became operational in February 1949.
The facilities’ first mission was to manufacture polonium-beryllium initiators for atomic weapons. As part of this process, the site extracted polonium-210 from irradiated bismuth slugs and machined beryllium parts. Mound stopped producing initiators after the Pinellas Plant in Florida began producing accelerator-type neutron generators in 1957. In 1954, Mound began developing and producing weapons components containing tritium, and in 1969, the plant began recovering and purifying tritium from dismantled nuclear weapons. During the 1950s and 1960s the Mound Plant also developed and produced a variety of nonnuclear weapons components including detonators, cable assemblies, firing sets, ferroelectric transducers, and explosive timers. In 1995, Mound discontinued weapons components production.
The non-weapons work performed at the Mound Plant included the development and manufacture of radioisotope thermal generators; radioactive waste decontamination research; investigation of the properties of uranium, protactinium-231, and plutonium-239; and the separation of stable isotopes and noble gases.
Throughout the course of its operations, the potential for beryllium exposure existed at this site, due to beryllium use, residual contamination, and decontamination activities.
The non-weapons work performed at the Mound Plant included the development and manufacture of radioisotope thermal generators; radioactive waste decontamination research; investigation of the properties of uranium, protactinium-231, and plutonium-239; and the separation of stable isotopes and noble gases.
Throughout the course of its operations, the potential for beryllium exposure existed at this site, due to beryllium use, residual contamination, and decontamination activities.

Alternative Names

• Mound
• Monsanto Research Corporation
• Miamisburg Environmental Management Project
• MEMP
• Mound Plant
• Miamisburg Closure Project
• The Mound
• Unit IV

Type of Facility

• Department of Energy

Covered by EEOICPA

• B and Part E

EEOICPA Covered Years

• 1947-Present

Contractors

• 2006-Present S.M. Stoller Corporation
• 2006-2010 Accelerated Remediation Company
• 2003-2006 CH2M Hill
• 1997-2002 BWX Technologies
• 1988-1997 EG&G Mound Applied Technologies
• 1947-1988 Monsanto Chemical Company

Contract Numbers

• AC04-76DP00053
• EY-76-C-04-0053
• AT(33-1)-GEN-53
• AC24-88DP43495
• AC07-76ID01570
• AC08-89NV10630
• DE-AC04-88DP43495
• EY-76-C-04-3533
• EY-76-C-04-0789
• EY-76-C-04-0063
• E(33-1)-GEN-53
• AT-33-1-GEH-53, Modification No 2
• AC04-92AL73000
• AC04-88DP43495
• AC04-76DR00789
• AC04-76-DP00053
• AT-33-1-Gen-53 Appendix D

DOE

• CERCLA
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Mortality and Morbidity Study of 5-rem Workers at 23 Department Of Energy (DOE) facilities
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Mortality Among Mound Workers Exposed to Polonium-210 and Other Sources of Radiation, 1944–1979
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Cohort Mortality Study of Workers at Mound Plant, 1991
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Cohort Mortality Study of Polonium Exposure of Males at Mound Plant, 1991
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Cohort Mortality Study of White Males Employed at the Mound Plant
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Analytic Data File Sets-Mortality Study Among Female Nuclear Weapons Workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Zia Company, Rocky Flats, Hanford, Mound, Savannah River, Oak Ridge X-10, Y-12 and K-25, Fernald, Linde and Pantex
• Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource Working Data File Sets-Working Data File Set for Mound Plant
• DOE Facility List by Name
• FUSRAP Considered Site
• Scioto Lab FUSRAP Considered Site
• Legacy Management
• CERCLA 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
• Site Exposure Matrix
• Approved Special Exposure Cohorts
• Bulletin 08-10: Mound Plant SEC
• Bulletin 10-21: Mound Plant SEC Class for March 1, 1959 through March 5, 1980
• Circular 13-04: Mound Plant Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Class from September 1, 1972 through December 31, 1972 or from January 1, 1975 through December 31, 1976

EPA

• Site Narrative
• Superfund Site

NIOSH

• FAQs About Your Case
• Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health
• NIOSH Case Statistics
• Special Exposure Cohort Status Table
  • Petition 090, 091: “Employees of the Department of Energy (DOE), its predecessor agencies, and DOE contractors or subcontractors who worked in any areas at the Mound Plant site from October 1, 1949 through February 28, 1959 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.”
  • Petition 171: “All employees of the Department of Energy (DOE), its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and subcontractors who had at least one tritium bioassay sample and worked at the Mound Plant in Miamisburg, Ohio from March 1, 1959 through March 5, 1980, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.”
  • Petition 207: “All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked at the Mound Plant in Miamisburg, Ohio, from September 1, 1972, through December 31, 1972, or from January 1, 1975, through December 31, 1976, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment 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

• BTComp Contractor/Subcontractor Database
• Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
• Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey
• Mound Cold War Discovery Center
• Waste Lands-America’s Forgotten Nuclear Legacy Database