MCE and Community Members Host Public Meeting:
Republic Service’s Landfill Fire Mitigation System Fails 
St. Louis, MO – The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) and community members near the problematic Republic Services landfill in Bridgeton held its second public meeting in two weeks. Thanks to Missouri’s Sunshine laws for public information access, MCE obtained the most current Temperature Monitoring Probe data from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). (see TMPs data).
“The data show clearly that the subsurface landfill fire has moved beyond the equipment that was meant to stop its advance toward tons of radioactive wastes left over from the purification of uranium for nuclear weapons,” said Ed Smith, Safe Energy Director with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. “Essentially, the ‘fire line’ is breached.”
MCE has long advocated for the removal of the radioactive wastes at the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site. The EPA stated at January meeting on West Lake that the landfill fire was 1,200 feet from the radioactive wastes. Last week the Attorney General said the landfill fire was 1,000 feet from the radioactive wastes. The Temperature Monitoring Probes (TMPs) map shows temperatures nearly 170 degrees Fahrenheit in TMP 2, one of the northernmost probes. (see map). Temperatures above 130 degrees indicate a subsurface smoldering event – or a landfill fire.
“This failed plan has cost St. Louis months of precious time while the fire is moving. Federal, state, and local elected officials and government agencies charged with protecting the people can no longer allow Republic Services to call the shots. We don’t have time for failure. Delays in stopping this fire will ultimately just cost us more,” said Kathleen Logan Smith, Environmental Policy Director with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
Elevated Temperatures North of the Interceptor Wells
- TMP-2 30 5/15/2013 80 ft. deep 169.3 degrees
- TMP-3 29 5/9/2013 90 ft. deep 154.8 degrees
- TMP-5 29 5/9/2013 140 ft. deep 177.4 degrees
- TMP-11 30 5/15/2013 76 ft. deep 166.7 degrees
- TMP-12 29 5/9/2013 55 ft. deep, 147.3 degrees
- TMP-13 29 5/9/2013 89 ft. deep 173.1 degrees
- TMP-14 29 5/9/2013 101 ft. 174.4 degrees
The Missouri Coalition for the Environment and dozens of community members sent letters 5/24 to the Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the landfill fire, and to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has jurisdiction over the radioactive waste in the Superfund site at West Lake, asking both agencies to publicly share plans and procedures for the next phase of the response to this crisis.
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