The former Cold War weapons site in Luckey has left behind a legacy of pollution. Here are some FAQs regarding the site and what residents can do if they have health concerns.
1. What exactly is the former Cold War site? What happened there?
For 80 years, Luckey has been home to a 44-acre tract of industrial land at the northwest edge of the village and 22 miles south of Toledo. It was once one of the most critical defense sites in the nation and now is one of the most toxic.
The federal government acquired the farmland in 1942 as part of wartime industrial expansion and built a complex of 22 buildings to produce magnesium metal for the Manhattan Project and the World War II effort.
At the end of the war, the government closed the magnesium facility and placed it on standby. In 1946, the Brush Beryllium Co. moved to the site to conduct secret military research for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Three years later, in 1949, the Atomic Energy Commission expanded the facility and contracted Brush Beryllium to produce beryllium metal on a large scale for nuclear weapons, missiles, and parts for the Space Race. The site remained largely a beryllium production facility until the late 1950s, when Brush Beryllium moved the bulk of its work to a plant in nearby Elmore.
Since 1961, the site has been the home to a plastics company, a mattress foam factory, and a firm making car wheels. Today, it is owned by the scrap dealer Abdoo Wrecking. Almost all of the original 22 buildings have been demolished.
2. What kind of contaminants were created at the Luckey site?
The site created a variety of contaminants, including beryllium, lead, and various radionuclides.
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Energy designated the site for cleanup under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, or FUSRAP. This designation means the site is among 21 properties nationwide identified for cleanup due to contamination from early nuclear weapons production efforts.
3. Is the government cleaning it up?
Since 2018, the Army Corps of Engineers has removed hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated soil from the site. Large trucks transport the soil from Luckey to a special landfill in Belleville, Mich., 66 miles north.
But records show the agency is removing only a fraction of the pollution.
That's because the Army Corps has a narrow definition of what qualifies for cleanup. Only six elements used at the site between 1949 and 1958 during the manufacture of beryllium for the nation’s weapons program are being addressed: beryllium, lead, uranium-238, uranium-234, radium-226, and thorium-230.
But dozens of other chemicals and pollutants are not being cleaned up, such as PCBs, PAHs, and asbestos, records show.
The Army Corps cleanup was supposed to be finished 22 years ago. Now, officials say the projected completion date is 2030 at a taxpayer expense of $277 million, four times the original estimate.
4. Did any of the contamination migrate off the actual site and into the community?
The Army Corps has long maintained no contamination is moving off the site. But very little sampling has been done inside the village.
In 2001, the Army Corps sampled 39 private wells in and around Luckey for beryllium, total uranium and manganese. The agency said it did not find levels of concern. It did not test for radioactivity.
Recent testing by The Blade showed radioactivity in about half the wells in and around Luckey at levels higher than what the Army Corps has deemed as normal for the area. In addition, two samples collected outside the village showed low levels of cobalt-60, a man-made radioactive isotope that is rarely found in groundwater.
5. What did The Blade test and what did the results show?
Throughout last year, a Blade reporter collected water samples at residences and public places in and around Luckey and sent the samples to a certified lab for analysis for a variety of contaminants. In all, 40 locations were sampled, making the Blade study the largest and most thorough testing of drinking water in Luckey to date.
Thirty-nine of the 40 wells were tested for radioactivity (one sample was tested only for beryllium). Thirty-eight of the 39 wells tested for radioactivity were sampled for bismuth-214, (one was sampled only for alpha radiation and radium-226, tests that don't detect bismuth-214).
Of the 38 wells tested for bismuth-214, 21 showed elevated levels. Nineteen of the 21 had levels over 26 picocuries per liter — 10 times greater than what the Army Corps says is typical and naturally occurring in the Luckey area.
Because there is no legal limit or regulatory guideline for bismuth-214 in drinking water, The Blade asked two independent experts in environmental radiation to review and analyze the lab results to determine their significance.
The scientists explained that bismuth-214 is part of the radioactive decay chain of radon-222. The presence of bismuth-214 in water indicates radon must also be present, as bismuth-214 is a short-lived decay product of radon.
Although The Blade didn't directly test for radon in the wells with high bismuth-214 concentrations, the scientists were able to estimate the original radon levels present when samples were collected. They used "back-calculation," a scientific method that uses mathematical equations based on the known decay rates of radioactive isotopes. By analyzing the measured bismuth-214 concentrations and applying these time-based decay equations, scientists can estimate the original radon levels.
Working independently, both scientists performed these calculations and reached identical results. According to their analyses, all 21 samples with elevated bismuth-214 would have contained radon levels exceeding a proposed EPA limit for radon in drinking water. But that proposal was never enacted.
Additionally, The Blade's testing detected low levels of cobalt-60 in two wells. Cobalt-60 is rarely found in groundwater. It is highly regulated, in part due to its strong gamma radiation and potential for misuse, such as in dirty bombs. Experts say the presence of cobalt-60 — even at low levels — represents a potential hazard warranting regulatory investigation.
6. Isn't some radioactivity naturally occurring?
Yes. Several radioactive elements at the Luckey site occur naturally in the environment, including radium, thorium, and uranium. But at the Luckey site, testing by federal authorities have found these elements in soil and groundwater at much higher concentrations — sometimes thousands of times higher — than what typically occurs in the environment.
7. Did The Blade find levels of radioactivity that are harmful?
The newspaper shared its testing results with several experts in environmental radiation. They said the amount of radioactive cobalt-60 found in two wells was so low it did not present a health risk but that authorities should investigate to determine the scope and source of the contamination.
The experts were more concerned about the high levels of bismuth-214, which point to high levels of radioactive radon gas in the water as well.
Radioactivity has been linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including blood and thyroid cancers. In terms of radon, the EPA estimates 20,000 deaths each year from inhalation exposure, which can happen when individuals shower, wash dishes, or do laundry. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
Taehyun Roh, a Texas A&M University scientist who specializes in environmental exposures, said in an email that regulators should conduct not just comprehensive water testing in Luckey, but also soil and air sampling to confirm the extent of contamination and identify the source.
“Additionally," he wrote, “it is necessary to assess the health risks (e.g., lung cancer) for residents living nearby or using private wells. Since this area likely has high radon levels, testing for radon in both air and water is advisable.”
8. So is the water in Luckey safe to drink?
Roh, the Texas A&M scientist, said: "A safe drinking water advisory should be issued, recommending the use of bottled water until further assessments and mitigation measures are in place."
Ohio EPA spokesman Katie Boyer wrote in an email that though the newspaper’s testing showed “some contaminant detections in the public drinking water, they are within acceptable drinking water standards.”
9. I live near Luckey but not in Luckey. Should I be concerned about my water?
Blade testing showed high levels of radioactive bismuth-214 up to 3.5 miles from the former Cold War site and 3 miles from village limits.
The newspaper tested three wells more than 3.6 miles away from the site, and all showed non-detects for bismuth-214. But one of those three showed low-levels of man-made cobalt-60.
If you would like to have your well tested, many certified labs will analyze your water if you send in a sample.
10. Aren't there rules about how much contaminants are allowed in drinking water?
It depends. The EPA regulates many substances in public water supplies but typically only water in municipal systems, such as in Toledo and its suburbs.
Private wells are not regulated by the EPA or other agencies. That means no environmental or health officials test those wells for contaminants; it’s up to the owners to test their wells.
One exception: public or private wells that serve 25 people for 60 days out of each year, such as churches, schools, and libraries.
There are many contaminants that are unregulated and untested, even in municipal water systems. These include the radionuclides detected by The Blade’s testing: bismuth-214 and cobalt-60.
Though there is no legal limit for radon in drinking water, the EPA recommends that homes be fixed if the radon air level is 4 pCi/L or more. Because 10,000 pCi/L in water equals about 1 pCi/L in air, water with more than 40,000 pCi/L of radon could exceed the recommended 4 pCi/L air limit.
11. Speaking of Toledo’s drinking water, how does that water compare to Luckey’s?
The Blade’s testing program was not designed to compare Luckey’s drinking water with that of other communities. For instance, The Blade found high levels of bismuth-214 in wells in and around Luckey as well as low levels of cobalt-60 in two wells. Neither of those radionuclides are tested in Toledo.
12. If I have concerns about the safety of my well water, what should I do?
You can get a radon detector to test the air in your home. If you would like to have your well tested, many certified labs will analyze your water if you send in a sample. You can also reach out to authorities at the Wood County Health Department, the Ohio EPA, and the Ohio Department of Health.
13. Where can I send a sample of my water to be tested?
Many labs can test well water. The Blade used Eurofins Environment Testing in St. Louis, where testing cost between $40 and $175 per sample. Prices vary depending on the contaminants tested.
14. What is beryllium and what risk does it pose?
Beryllium is a metal with rare properties: It is lighter than aluminum yet stiffer than steel, making it a valuable material for the defense, space, automotive and electronics industries. But when workers machine, grind or sand beryllium, it can create a toxic dust that can cause an incurable, often-fatal lung disease.
Beryllium disease has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people since the 1940s, mostly workers processing the metal, including those at facilities in Elmore, Luckey, and Lorain, Ohio.
Beryllium poses less of a risk in soil or water or in finished products. The hazard is mainly associated with airborne dust.
15. Is any beryllium dust migrating off the former weapons site and into the community?
Since 2018, the Army Corps has maintained several air monitoring stations around the perimeter of the site. The agency has said there have been no offsite releases, but there has been little published data.
16. Did The Blade testing find beryllium in the water?
No, and that was not a surprise. Previous off-site testing by the Army Corps has not detected beryllium in the water at concerning levels. The Blade sampled 15 wells for beryllium, and all were non-detect. The main risk of beryllium is its airborne dust.
17. If the Luckey site produced so much beryllium during the Cold War, why isn't it showing up in the water?
According to the Army Corps, beryllium is not typically found in high levels in water because the element has a tendency to adhere to the soil.
18. Didn’t The Blade do an investigation about beryllium years ago and write about Luckey?
Yes and no. In 1999, a series of Blade articles exposed a decades-long pattern of misconduct by the government and beryllium industry that resulted in the deaths of dozens of workers nationwide. Those articles prompted safety reforms and a national Energy Department compensation program for workers harmed by beryllium, radiation, and other exposures. Those stories only mentioned Luckey in passing. The current Blade stories are based on testing by the newspaper and federal and state documents previously not reviewed.
19. If I have concerns about the Luckey site that aren't addressed here, who do I contact?
Depending on your concerns, there are several government agencies you can contact.
The Ohio EPA is responsible for regulating all non-radioactive contaminants, such as beryllium and lead, both on and off the Luckey site.
The Ohio Health Department regulates the radioactive contaminants on and off the former Cold War site, such as radium-226 and uranium-238.
The Army Corps does not regulate the site, but it can respond to questions or concerns specific to the cleanup.
Health concerns can be directed to the Wood County Health Department or the Ohio Department of Health.
20. If I have a tip for The Blade regarding this issue, who do I contact?
Blade staff writer Alexa York at ayork@theblade.com.
First Published April 25, 2025, 12:30 p.m.
