EPA to Conduct Further Testing for Radioactive Contamination at West Lake Landfill in Missouri

The testing is expected to take place in the western part of the site within the next 90 days.

Waste360 Staff, Staff

October 20, 2017

1 Min Read
EPA to Conduct Further Testing for Radioactive Contamination at West Lake Landfill in Missouri

Seven years ago, an exothermic reaction at the Bridgeton (Mo.) Sanitary Landfill began. And since then, the landfill has continued to smolder. This is a concern because of low-level radioactive material that was disposed of at the adjacent West Lake Landfill in 1973.

To address this issue, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency met with area residents in September to provide an update on efforts to clean up the West Lake Landfill. Now, those officials have announced that they are going to conduct further testing for radioactive contamination at the West Lake Landfill.

The testing is expected to take place in the western part of the site within the next 90 days.

St. Louis Public Radio has more details:

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to conduct further testing for radioactive contamination at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site in Bridgeton.

Albert Kelly, senior adviser to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and the head of the agency's Superfund Task Force, made the announcement at a forum late Thursday, where members of the community voiced concerns about the landfill. Kelly said he expects the sampling to occur within the next 90 days in the western part of the site, a portion that agency officials often refer to as "Operating Unit 2."

The announcement came as good news to area residents, who have long worried that that contamination has damaged their health.

Read the full story here.

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