radiological · Erie County
EAD Metallurgy Americium-241 Operation
Town of Tonawanda
Former smoke-detector-foil operation at 71 Pearce Avenue. Public records document releases of americium-241 to the sanitary sewer, accumulation in treatment sludge, incineration, and disposal at the Town of Tonawanda landfill. This sewer-and-sludge pathway is separate from the Linde uranium-residue history.
The documented story
What happened here?
EAD Metallurgy operated a smoke-detector-foil manufacturing process at 71 Pearce Avenue from approximately 1977 through 1983. New York archival and federal records identify americium-241 as the radionuclide involved.
The documented pathway ran through the sanitary sewer: americium entered the treatment system, accumulated in sludge, and was carried into ash after sludge incineration. Some of that material was disposed of at the Town of Tonawanda landfill.
This is not part of the Linde uranium-residue pathway. The isotope, industrial process and waste route are different, even though both histories are in the Town of Tonawanda.
Chronology in context
Turning points in the public record
About 1977-1983
EAD manufactured americium-bearing smoke-detector foil elements at Pearce Avenue.
1983
The foil operation ceased.
1984-1987
Investigations traced americium through the sewer, treatment plant and landfill pathway and evaluated cleanup and potential exposure groups.
1994
A federal radiological survey documented the landfill record and the placement of americium-bearing treatment residues.
1995
New York archival records describe certification of the EAD property following decontamination work.
Chemical guide
Chemicals named in this record
These links explain potential hazards and exposure pathways. A chemical named in a record does not establish that anyone was exposed or harmed.
Environmental record
Documented impacts
- Americium-241 contamination was documented at the plant and in portions of the sanitary-sewer and treatment system.
- Treatment sludge was incinerated, and federal records trace americium-bearing residue to the municipal landfill.
- The published record identifies potential worker and public pathways for evaluation; it should not be generalized into a claim that the whole sewer system or landfill remains uniformly contaminated.
Response
Cleanup and controls
- The plant underwent decontamination and survey work, while the downstream sewer, treatment and landfill pathway was separately investigated.
- Historical dose and risk evaluations considered sewer workers, treatment-plant workers, landfill workers and members of the public as distinct groups.
Then and now
The site today
This page preserves the distinct EAD pathway and links the original archival and federal cleanup records without merging it into nearby uranium-processing histories.
Radiological-map connection
Place this site in the wider material history
The separate radiological investigation map distinguishes producers, processors, storage, the 100 historical survey records, federal remediation, and current assessment coverage.
Linked research mapOpen the radiological investigation →