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Agreement Reached On Bridgeton Landfill, But Questions Still Remain

St. Louis Public Radio | By Véronique LaCapra,
Véronique LaCapra
Published May 14, 2013 at 6:07 PM CDT
Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a preliminary agreement on Tuesday with the owner of the Bridgeton Landfill.

Koster filed a lawsuit against Republic Services six weeks ago, alleging violations of state environmental laws. A fire has been smoldering underground at the landfill for two and half years.

Under the agreement, Republic Services will pay to relocate nearby residents while it removes unstable concrete pipes from the landfill, a process that will take at least two weeks.

The construction will increase odors, but according to a letter from the state health department, not short term health risks.

The work is necessary before Republic can move forward with plans to cover part of the landfill with a hard plastic cap — an effort to contain foul-smelling, potentially toxic fumes.

Koster says the agreement also includes possible steps to keep the fire from spreading.

"Such steps may include the drilling of additional interceptor wells, the installation of additional temperature probes, complete capping of the north quarry, and ultimately, if necessary, the construction of a physical barrier between the fire and the radioactive material at the Westlake Landfill,” Koster said.

But when asked whether the state would meet with the public to discuss health concerns, Attorney General Chris Koster said that's not up to him.

"Public questions related to the dissemination of public information and transparency related to this situation should be asked and answered by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health," Koster said.

Residents say they've been frustrated by the lack of communication from those departments. And so far, neither the Department of Natural Resources nor the Department of Health & Senior Services have answered whether they plan to meet with the area residents to discuss their concerns.

Koster says the preliminary agreement with Republic Services does not settle the lawsuit, which he says is intended to address long term environmental impacts.

Follow Véronique LaCapra on Twitter: @KWMUScience

 

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Science and Technology bridgeton landfillattorney general chris kosterrepublic services
Véronique LaCapra
Véronique LaCapra first caught the radio bug while writing commentaries for NPR affiliate WAMU in Washington, D.C. After producing her first audio pieces at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies in N.C., she was hooked! She has done ecological research in the Brazilian Pantanal; regulated pesticides for the Environmental Protection Agency in Arlington, Va.; been a freelance writer and volunteer in South Africa; and contributed radio features to the Voice of America in Washington, D.C. She earned a Ph.D. in ecosystem ecology from the University of California in Santa Barbara, and a B.A. in environmental policy and biology from Cornell. LaCapra grew up in Cambridge, Mass., and in her mother’s home town of Auxerre, France.
See stories by Véronique LaCapra
Véronique LaCapra
Science reporter Véronique LaCapra first caught the radio bug writing commentaries for NPR affiliate WAMU in Washington, D.C. After producing her first audio documentaries at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies in N.C., she was hooked! She has done ecological research in the Brazilian Pantanal; regulated pesticides for the Environmental Protection Agency in Arlington, Va.; been a freelance writer and volunteer in South Africa; and contributed radio features to the Voice of America in Washington, D.C. She earned a Ph.D. in ecosystem ecology from the University of California in Santa Barbara, and a B.A. in environmental policy and biology from Cornell. LaCapra grew up in Cambridge, Mass., and in her mother’s home town of Auxerre, France. LeCapra reported for St. Louis Public Radio from 2010 to 2016.