(St. Louis Public Radio) –A lawsuit between Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and the operator of the Bridgeton and West Lake Landfills has been sent back to St. Louis County’s circuit court by a federal judge.
That’s a win for activists, who felt that Republic Services’ nearly seven-month long attempt to push the case to federal court delayed cleanup efforts at the Superfund site.
“Republic’s delaying tactic of removing the case to federal court has failed,” Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement. “Our case seeking penalties for violating state environmental laws will now proceed in state court in St. Louis County, where it belongs.”
In the ruling, the judge said Republic relied on “hand-picked excerpts from lengthy expert reports” to make their case. The two parties will be responsible for their own legal fees.
In a statement, Republic said the ruling now clears the path for the EPA to continue its plan to build an isolation barrier between the Manhattan Project-era radioactive waste in the West Lake Landfill, and an underground smoldering fire beneath the Bridgeton Landfill.
