value to FUSRAP site investigation activities. However, the absence of routine.
correspondence between Mallinckrodt, the AEC and other firms or agencies involved in
similar activities indicate that such files were removed from the site when AEC
operations were terminated in the late 1960's.

Purchase orders with the former General Steel Castings Corporation and DOW
Chemical Company obtained during the visit confirm, to some extent, the information
provided to DOE by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter.

The former General Steel Castings Corporation did perform services using
government owned Betatron equipment to x-ray uranium, probably in ingot or dingot
configuration. The service was apparently provided over a period of several years
(early 1958 through the summer of 1965).

Uranium rods were straightened at the former DOW Chemical Company Plant in
Madison, Illinois, in December 1959 and January 1960. DOW did participate in a
cooperative program to establish operating conditions for the Weldon Spring metal
plant. However, documents to support the assertion that uranium dingots were
extruded into smaller diameter rod at the former DOW plant were not found.

dh, j [
Cty) By.
Charles D. Young”

Office of Technical Servt



. ee TL ET

ORY _
ECTION 2M Stes ~ Job * £905 2G

BOXNOW SST
TRIP REPORT = EQLDER 4:45: 1 Mis souri (Weldon Sp
RepertS 1981-1453

DATE OF VISIT: 2 - 5 May 1988

PLACE VISITED: Weldon Spring Site
Weldon Spring, MO

PERSONS CONTACTED: R. Nelson, DOE Project Manager
S. McCracken, Deputy Project Manager
K. Lawver, DOE Environmental Engineer
R. Medora, Jacobs Engineering

PURPOSE OF THE VISIT: To review Mallinckrodt records and other records pertaining
to the operation of the AEC Weldon Spring Plant from the mid-1950's through the
mid~1960's that remain on the plant site; and to locate formerly used sites in
Madison and Granite City, Illinois. -

BACKGROUND: Except for records pertaining to the administration of prime contracts,
prior attempts to locate récords generated during the operation of the Mallinckrodt
Chemical Works facilities in St. Louis and subsequent operations at the AEC feed
material production facility at Weldon Spring were, for the most part, unsuccessful.
In early April 1988, the DOE was provided information concerning two commercial
firms in the St. Louis area that had not been previously identified which apparently
performed work for the AEC in the late 1950's that involved the processing or
handling of radioactive materials. Also in April, DOE headquarters was provided
copies of a "Catalogue of On-Site Files" prepared by a Department of the Army
contractor in 1977 following an inventory of files that were left in the Weldon
Spring plant facilities by the AEC and Mallinckrodt, Inc., the plant contractor
operator. 7

& review of the "Catalogue of On-Site Files" indicated that records left at the
plant site might contain information pertaining to the work done by the firms in
Madison and Granite City, Illinois, and other commercial firms that might have done
similar work.

DISCUSSION: Following a brief meeting with the DOE Project Manager and Deputy
Project Manager on Monday afternoon to explain the purpose of the visit, I was
escorted by Mr. Lawver to the area where the records had been assembled, was briefed
on procedures required for access to controlled areas, arid spent the remainder of
the day conducting a general assessment of the condition and types of records that
were available for review. A brief summary of the findings based on the results of
the records review over the next three days are as follows.

1. The types of records assembled by the site contractor from the various
buildings on the. site were identified in five general categories.

o Records pertaining to plant operations at the site.



aa theix_plant._by_Mal

o A relatively complete file of purchase orders with vendors and suppl
supporting plant construction and feed material production operations.

o A large volume of vendor data containing commercial catalogues, drawings
and technical notes pertaining primarily to plant construction and
operations.

o As-built drawings of site plant facilities.

o A relatively small volume of records left at the site by representatives
of the U.S. Army following their tenure after the AEC operation was
closed down. This category also includes some site monitoring records
apparently left by Bechtel, a DOE contractor.,

2. A significant portion of the records identified in the "Catalogue of
On-Site Files" were not found. It is apparent that the records were inventoried in
place and were moved at least once prior to their assembly in the current location
in Building 410. It is possible that some of the records may have been removed from
the site since the inventory in 1977. During recent efforts to locate and move the
records to Building 410, some were left in place because they were exposed to the
elements due to failed roofs over an extended period of time and the cabinets and
records were deteriorate to the extent that cabinet drawers were rusted shut and
records were wet, decayed and illegible. During a visit to Building 438, a former
administrative building, eleven drawers of records that were not included in the
Army inventory were found. These records were moved to Building 410, were reviewed
and found to contain documents pertaining to administration and plant support.

3, Efforts were directed primarily to review of the purchase order files to
identify vendors and suppliers of services that might have been involved in the
processing or handling of radioactive materials during the 1950's through the early
1960's. Files containing purchasé orders between Mallinckrodt's Uranium Division
and DOW Chemical Company and General Steél Castings Corporation were found and
copied. These files contain purchase orders for the period 1958 through 1964 that
support, to some extent, the information provided to DOE by the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch reporter concerming work done for the AEC by these firms.

The purchase orders with DOW Chemical Company were primarily for chemicals
(Sodium Carbonate, Trichlorethylene, etc.), welding wire and rod, and related metal
products. Purchase Order No. U-63862-M, dated March 9,1960, was for straightening
Mallinckrodt supplied uranium rods. Neither the quantity of uranium metal, nor the
time required to perform the task are indicated. However, the purchase order does
indicate that two campaigns, completed on December 21, 1959 and January 25, 1960,
were conducted. This was the only purchase order in the file covering the period
July 1957 through December 1965 that indicates this firm's involvement with the
processing of radioactive material.

The purchase orders with General Steel Castings at 1417 State Street in Granite
City, Illinois, for the period February 1958 through June 1966 were issued to cover
services;~on-an as: vequired pasis,-involving-the x-ray of material delivered to
ersonnel, Although not specifically indicated, it is



assumed that the materials involved were uranium metal ingots and/or dingots and the
services rendered were in support of metallurgical studies of uranium metal produced
by Mallinckrodt.

The purchase orders indicate that the name of the firm was changed between June
1960 and July 1961 from General Steel Castings Corporation to General Steel
Industries, Inc., at the same address.

it should be noted that the purchase orders involving the handling or processing
of uranium metal by both DOW Chemical and General Steel required delivery by
Mallinckrodt personnel, not a commercial trucking/delivery firm, as was indicated in
the information provided DOE by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter.

4.‘ Although not all of the purchase order files were reviewed in detail, the
title of each folder (name of the company) was examined for a match with firms and
locations currently identified in the FUSRAP site list. The folders identified in
this process were examined in detail. The contents of foldérs identified as chemical
suppliers, or suppliers of metal fabrication or transportation services were also
thoroughly examined. DOW Chemical and General Steel were the only firms identified
that processed or handled radioactive material.

5. Routine correspondence and other communications between Mallinckrodt, the
AEC and other firms/agencies involved in uranium metal production and fabrication
programs of the period, typically found in groups of tecords previously reviewed,
were not found in the records reviewed at the Weldon Spring site. Only a few
records pertaining to the Mallinckrodt operations in downtown St. Louis during the
mid-1950's were found in this group of records.

6. The group of records made available to personnel of the St. Louis Post-
Dispatch newspaper were also reviewed. With few exceptions, these records were
dated in the 1970's and 1980's, apparently shipped to the site from the Oak Ridge
Operations Office. Most appeared to be record file copies and pertained primarily
to environmental monitoring at the site and the current DOE program to clean up the
site. It is my understanding that the site records currently located in Building
410 were not made available to the newspaper personnel.

7. Successful completion of the records review during the time allocated was
due in large part to the cooperation and assistance provided by the DOE Project
Manager's staff and Mr. R. Medora of the Site Contractor staff.

8. Prior to departure from the St. Louis area, a trip was made to Madison and
Granite City, Illinois, to locate the former DOW Chemical and General Steel plant
sites. The former DOW plant is now occupied by Spectrulite Consortium Inc. (SCI).
The plant site is located at College and Weaver Streets in Madison, Illinois. The
former General Steel Casting Corporation (apparently renamed General Steel .
Industries, Inc.) site at 1417 State Street in Granite City is now the South Plant
Facility of Granite City Steel Division, Granite City Steel Company.

pertaining to purchases of saterials and services
the records reviewed are consi little

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