BRIDGETON, Mo. — US Sen. Josh Hawley put the pressure on Thursday for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to get moving.
During an energy committee hearing, Hawley took the opportunity to talk to Bruno Piggott, the EPA’s Office of Water deputy assistant administrator.
He asked him to pass along a message to his colleagues.
In a five-minute speech, Hawley urged for a clean-up.
The EPA has been overseeing the Superfund Site since 1990.
Hawley said, "So far no remediation done. EPA sent me a response letter August 24th of this year, in which they say they don't have a timeline for remediation. It said, once they approve the remedial design and there’s an enforceable legal agreement in place with the responsible parties, the remedial action process can begin."
Thousands of tons of radioactive waste from World War II were illegally dumped there in 1973.
A smoldering underground fire was found in 2010 at the nearby Bridgeton Landfill, which could threaten the radioactive material.
- In 2018, the EPA said it had a final plan to remove the waste.
- In 2022, the EPA had a plan for a $205 million clean-up project, but it was delayed after finding more extensive radioactive waste.
- In March 2023, the EPA said the radioactive waste was more widespread than previously thought.
- In May 2023, the EPA announced at a public meeting in Bridgeton that the waste is mostly contained to a 200-acre site.
The EPA investigation showed the material was really deep because waste was dumped on top of it all the way into the 1980s. They found radioactive material as close to one foot from the surface.
As time passes by, Hawley believes the burden only grows.
"Now many have cancers and autoimmune diseases," he said.
Two women who have boots on the ground know this unfortunately too well.
Christen Commuso met Dawn Chapman a decade ago, over their passion for exposing the troubles at West Lake Landfill.
Only to learn, they themselves were possibly exposed.
"I am a cancer survivor," Commuso said. "I have tumors in my body being monitored. I grew up near Coldwater Creek and near West Lake Landfill. I absolutely think it is correlated."
Chapman, co-founder of the environmental group Just Moms STL, admits the adversities.
Chapman shared, "I’m sitting just two miles from the West Lake Landfill and we’ve been for 10 years trying to get West Lake cleaned up and the radioactive waste in St. Louis. Now my own family has illnesses and getting sick. As time goes on, I get to see the impact on my own family and that's not fair."
That's why answers are needed.
Chapman said she wants a date.
"If they can't give us a date, then I want to know what the stall is," she said. "I think it's because they are trying to find where all the radioactivity is. Where is the clean up?!"
They said they are thankful Hawley is looking out for them.
"I'm glad that he continues at every chance he can to bring this issue to the forefront. That’s what we need in Washington, to keep pushing for this community," Commuso added.
As they wait for a date, the advocates believe every move they make is one step closer to closure.
"I think without the community organizing and coming together, we would be nowhere near where we are now. So, it does matter, your voice does matter. You deserve to be at the table," Commuso said.
Chapman said they are hoping to meet with the EPA in December to talk next steps.
The EPA website explains the next step in this process is the remedial design work, which develops a plan to implement the cleanup.
That is estimated to happen between July and September 2024.
The EPA sent this statement on where they stand:
- EPA is currently overseeing work by the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) to complete the Remedial Design phase for Operable Unit 1.
- EPA is currently conducting a Remedial Investigation for sitewide groundwater, known as Operable Unit 3.
- Before remedial action can take place, EPA must negotiate an enforceable order with the PRPs to perform the cleanup work for OU-1.
- EPA R7 created and maintains a public facing dashboard that provides updates for OU-1 and OU-3 field work through an interactive mapping application and communicates progress as the site continues to move through the Superfund process.
- EPA recently received the revised Design Investigation Evaluation Report and is the process of reviewing the document.
- EPA recently provided comments to the PRPs on a Revised Excavation Plan and the PRPs are in the process of revising the document based on EPA comments.
For more on the Operable Units and other details, click here.