Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster released nine new expert witness reports on September 3 that collectively paint a troubling picture of the environment surrounding the landfill site.
The reports identify contamination in groundwater outside the landfill perimeter, including radiological contamination detected in trees surrounding the site. Additionally, data indicate that the underground fire has moved past the two rows of interceptor wells positioned at the neck of the landfill, closer to the North Quarry.
One report discovered volatile organic compounds, including benzene, acetone, and 2-butanone, in high concentrations in the groundwater in wells outside the perimeter of the landfill.
Two experts concluded the underground fire has moved outside of the containment areas – in the direction of the radiological area that contains waste from the United States’ initial atomic bomb program, the Manhattan Project.