Members of Missouri’s U.S. congressional delegation are concerned with the unclear timeline of the construction of an isolation barrier at the West Lake Landfill near St. Louis, according to a letter they sent to the Environmental Protection Agency late last week. The West Lake Landfill cleanup project has taken on an added sense of urgency after recent reports revealed that the site contains more radioactive waste closer to the smoldering fire than previously thought.
The letter, sent by Sens. Roy Blunt (R) and Claire McCaskill (D) along with Reps. William Lacy Clay (D) and Ann Wagner (R), called on the EPA release a detailed summary of when construction will be completed. “We remain concerned by the lack of a clear timeline for completion of the proposed isolation barrier to separate the subsurface smoldering even in the Bridgeton Landfill from the radioactively impacted portion of the West lake Landfill,” the lawmakers said. “Though it is critical that the best science continue to guide the design and implementation of this barrier, residents living and working nearby deserve to know when they can expect to see progress made. As such, we ask that the EPA provide a detailed summary as to when this project will be completed.”
The EPA, for its part, has maintained that field and design work along with other analysis needed to be completed before any construction could take place. The results of this analysis would affect how an isolation barrier would be aligned and placed at the site, according to EPA spokesman Chris Whitley. “It would be irresponsible of us to project a start date for construction at this time, when those discussions with the Corps and the Potentially Responsible Parties are continuing in earnest toward the goal of selecting the proper alignment and placement for the barrier,” Whitley said. “Those factors—the alignment and placement of the barrier—will greatly influence the design of the project, and in turn, the timetables for its construction.” The EPA is working on a timely response to the lawmaker’s letter, Whitley said.
