Irving Avenue between Cooper and Moffat Streets, in Ridgewood, Queens, looks like many other blocks in the neighborhood. There’s a small auto-body shop, a deli, and a construction business. There are some homes nearby, and a school isn’t far away. The ground, however, is contaminated: the block has the highest radiation levels of any measured location in New York City. Sometime this month, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to add the site to the Superfund list, making it only the third such area in the city.

How did it get that way? Click here to watch a video about the site’s strange history and to view an accompanying time line, infographic, and map.