'High likelihood' of radioactive waste in smoldering landfill, Missouri officials say

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/special-reports/radioactive/high-
likelihood-of-radioactive-waste-in-smoldering-landfill-missouri-officials-
say/63-19ad847e-67c3-4199-a0fa-f3b6bc4a3e0b

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Missouri officials are warning the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency of a “high likelihood” there is 
radioactive contamination in a smoldering landfill outside St. Louis.

In a letter last week, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources asked 
that the EPA assume oversight of the Bridgeton Landfill, arguing it may 
contain nuclear waste like the adjacent West Lake Landfill.

The two landfills, situated in the St. Louis suburb of Bridgeton, have 
received extensive attention from regulators over the years. The Bridgeton 
Landfill has been experiencing a “subsurface smoldering event” — a 
chemical reaction that heats and consumes waste like a fire but lacks 
oxygen — for more than 14 years, emitting noxious odors and raising 
concerns among residents that the “fire” might reach the radioactive waste 
in the West Lake Landfill next door.

The West Lake Landfill is subject to an EPA oversight and a cleanup to 
remove thousands of tons of uranium left over from World War II. 

But, the state argued in its letter, there may be radioactive waste in the 
Bridgeton portion of the landfill far closer to the subsurface smolder 
than previously known.

Kellen Ashford, a spokesman for the EPA, said in an email that the agency 
“has no new evidence or information to support any claim that 
radiologically-impacted material … is present anywhere else in the 
Bridgeton Landfill.”

Ashford said the EPA is seeking more information from the state about its 
letter.

Brian Quinn, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 
said in an emailed statement that the department agreed with the EPA’s 
most recent work and analysis at the site. Quinn did not immediately 
respond to follow-up questions about the agency’s belief that the 
Bridgeton Landfill may contain radioactive waste. 

The landfill’s owner, Republic Services, said in an emailed statement that 
“there is no evidence whatsoever of radiologically impacted material … in 
Bridgeton Landfill.”

The St. Louis area has struggled for years with a radioactive waste 
problem.

During World War II, uranium was refined in downtown St. Louis for use in 
the Manhattan Project, the name given to the war-era effort to build the 
world’s first atomic bomb. 

After the war, the waste was trucked to St. Louis County and dumped at the 
airport where it leaked into Coldwater Creek, polluting its banks and 
waters and subjecting generations of families to radiation exposure and an 
increased risk of certain cancers. The waste was sold and moved to a site 
in Hazlewood — still adjacent to the creek — where it continued to expose 
residents. 

In 1973, after valuable metals were extracted from the pile, the remaining 
waste was illegally dumped in the West Lake Landfill, where it remains 
today.

The EPA is nearing the end of a process to plan an excavation of much of 
the radioactive waste from the landfill. Parts of the landfill with lower 
levels of contamination will be capped.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the cleanup of Coldwater 
Creek. 

Last week, the EPA announced it would expand the excavation at the West 
Lake Landfill because it found additional radioactive contamination. Under 
the revised plan, another 40 acres of the landfill will be included in the 
cleanup. Crews will need to dig up another 20,000 cubic yards of 
contaminated soil and debris, and the price of the cleanup will climb to 
almost $400 million.

For years, the EPA thought the radioactive material was confined to two 
portions of the landfill, relying on findings from the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, which, in the late 1970s, flew a helicopter over the landfill 
to measure gamma radioactivity. That effort missed contamination in parts 
of the landfill.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ letter came in response to 
the EPA’s announcement last week that it would expand the cleanup. The 
state agency said it supported the expanded cleanup and recommended that 
the EPA “considers being the lead agency for all the potentially affected 
properties.”

As for a cleanup date, the EPA said there's no estimate for when 
excavation will begin at West Lake Landfill.

In response, Congressman Wesley Bell shared this statement:

"The DNR’s letter is alarming—the EPA must take immediate action to clean 
up the landfill and protect public health. Our community deserves clear 
answers on the extent of the radioactive contamination, its potential 
impacts, and a clear and actionable plan to address the issue. I will 
remain in constant contact with advocates at home on this issue, and we 
must work with urgency to protect families and our community.”

Josh Hawley also responded, saying:

“New documents from MO state government confirm radioactive material in 
the Bridgeton landfill. This is what residents have long warned about. The 
site is dangerous. The federal government must clean it up. And Congress 
must pass RECA now.”

This story from the Missouri Independent is published on KSDK.com under 
the Creative Commons license. The Missouri Independent is a nonpartisan, 
nonprofit news organization covering state government, politics and 
policy.

KSDK contributed to this story.


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