The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s long-awaited announcement today on how it plans to clean up the illegally-dumped radioactive waste in the West Lake Landfill has some touting a victory and others vowing to fight harder than ever.
This morning, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced a proposed remedy to excavate and remove “all the radioactive material that poses a risk to public health” from the landfill, a Superfund site in Bridgeton. Pruitt also proposes “a permanent cap” to go over the radioactive waste that will remain at the site. The remedy, which he called “Excavation Plus,” is expected to cost $236 million and take five years to implement.
“The people of the St. Louis region deserve clarity and answers with respect to the remediation of the West Lake Landfill,” Pruitt said. “I promised them an answer, and today I am making good on that commitment.”
However, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, a nonprofit that has long been demanding action from the federal agency, was not sold on the plan.
“Partial removal is not acceptable,” said Ed Smith, policy director for the organization. “It means high levels of radioactivity will be left behind with the potential for water or airborne contamination into the future, creating unnecessary long-term risks to the St. Louis region.”
The coalition is encouraging people throughout St. Louis “to rise up and flood the EPA with public comments” to have the agency fully remove the radioactive threat and dispose of it offsite.
Just STL Moms, the resident group that has fought tirelessly for the cleanup, said the community had been anticipating Pruitt’s announcement since early December, when the landfill was listed as one of Superfund’s top sites to receive “intense and immediate action.” Although the radioactive waste was dumped in the 1970s, the landfill has been classified a Superfund site since 1990.
“We, the community, have been waiting over a quarter of a century for a safe and permanent solution to the radioactive waste at the landfill,” said Just STL Moms co-founder Karen Nickel. “A remedy at this site was long overdue. However, there is no mention of relocation of vulnerable families with children. One thing is certain, relocation options must happen before the first shovel of dirt is moved.”
Originally, EPA proposed only a 5 percent partial removal, the group said, but the proposal now consist of about 70 percent. However, this amount can potentially increase – never decrease – as the process and public comment period proceeds, the group said.
“We consider 70-plus percent removal of the waste a victory and step in the right direction,” said co-founder Dawn Chapman. “Our goals, along with relocating the residents, have always been getting the radioactive waste out of the Missouri River floodplain and away from the threat of the underground fire.”
In December 2010, an underground chemical reaction was detected in the north quarry of the inactive 52-acre Bridgeton Landfill. This landfill is adjacent to the West Lake Landfill, and they are located northwest of the I-70 and I-270 interchange.
The chemical reaction is particularly dangerous because over the years it has been getting closer to the wastes from 1940s atomic bomb production that are buried only an estimated 700 feet away in West Lake Landfill.
If that happens, toxic fumes – and possibly particulate matter – could spread throughout the region and potentially force people into shelters or to evacuate, according to an emergency plan that St. Louis County issued in 2014. Those who live in Bridgeton, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, the Village of Champ and the City of St. Charles are directly affected, the plan states.
Bridgeton Landfill, LLC – one of the currently designated Potentially Responsible Parties for the West Lake Landfill – stated that it was pleased that the EPA is issuing a proposed plan for the site.
“From here, we will participate fully during the EPA’s comment period, as well as engage vigorously with the EPA and the other PRPs to ensure that the final remedy performed is based on science, and is fully protective of human health, including onsite workers performing any remedy, the community, and the environment,” according to the company’s statement.
Bridgeton Landfill, LLC is a subsidiary of Republic Services, Inc. Republic acquired the owner of the West Lake Landfill as part of a large corporate merger in 2008, shortly after the EPA issued its original record of decision.
Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri said the EPA’s announcement “is a huge victory for our long-suffering community and it is a major step towards long-delayed environmental justice.”
He noted that this is a 75-year old problem that dates back to the federal government’s Manhattan Project.
“The United States government created this waste,” Clay said, “and we have a responsibility to clean it up.”
Pruitt said the “Proposed Plan and Administrative Record” will be issued in the following days and available for public review and comment.
State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who has worked closely with the community on the issue, said, “It’s a good day for the good guys and girls.”
