Depleted uranium panels from the crashed Korean jumbo jet could be left at the bottom of a lake if investigators cannot find them.
Six million gallons of water will soon have been drained from the lake at Great Hallingbury to help reclamation experts find the last three of the 20 counterweights from the jet.
Essex emergency planning officer Peter Pearson said this week that the depleted uranium would be left if searchers could not find it.
The crash, which happened shortly after take off from Stansted, killed four Korean crew members on the cargo plane.
The clean-up operation has lasted five months, and the land will be restored at the end of the operation.
Health fears have been expressed about the depleted uranium, but officials have always maintained that radiation levels have been checked and that there is no risk to the public.
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