Radioactive Contamination in St. Louis
For more than two decades, through direct citizen and government engagement, MCE has supported the removal and relocation of radioactive material that contaminated the St. Louis region. Under the Army Corps of Engineers, more than 1,000,000 cubic yards of radioactive contamination has been removed from the St. Louis Downtown Site and contaminated sites along Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County, including the St. Louis Airport Site and Latty Avenue Properties in Hazelwood.
MCE’s most recent efforts focused on support for full removal of the radioactive material and a buyout for homeowners closest to the West Lake Landfill Superfund site in St. Louis County near Bridgeton, Missouri. On September 27, 2018, the EPA issued a decision that calls for removing up to 70% of the total radioactivity at the West Lake Landfill with disposal at a licensed out-of-state facility designed for such material. The decision is a huge step forward and a major shift from the EPA’s 2008 decision to cap-and-leave all of the radioactivity at the unlined landfill in the Missouri River floodplain. MCE continues to work with the community in order to protect their health and property.
STL Toxic Waste Alliance
MCE has partnered with Just Moms STL to create the STL Toxic Waste Alliance. We believe it is every person’s right to know the communities in which they live, work, worship, or play are safe and free from hazardous wastes. This alliance works to educate and activate people in the St. Louis area around toxic waste contamination in their communities.
Through outreach and training sessions, the alliance aims to inform residents about the contaminants in their neighborhood and ultimately empower citizens to advocate for clean-up and public health protections. We will also work to advance life-saving policies that protect future generations from further harm. The Alliance’s current areas of focus are the Bridgeton West Lake Landfill, Coldwater Creek, and Maline Creek. However, we are regularly receiving reports of other locations of concern, and we will investigate those sites and provide resources about them as we are able.
Community Voice in Cleanups
Individuals and entire communities have been impact by hazardous waste in Missouri for decades. The improper handling of toxic materials has led to countless lives being lost and countless more being negatively affected by the side effects of these materials. Radioactive waste, lead, asbestos, dioxin, and many other substances have wreaked havoc on our state’s people and their environment.
Ensuring the communities who have been most impacted by these pollutants are involved in guiding the clean up of contaminated sites is crucial. We believe their voice is mandatory when government agencies are making decisions that affect their health and well-being. MCE is the fiscal sponsor of Just Moms STL in their work to keep their community’s voice centered with the EPA, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and elected officials. MCE is also available to offer fiscal sponsorships to other such groups throughout Missouri. Contact us for more info.
Mining and Hazardous Waste
Mining can produce many hazardous byproducts and have multiple impacts on air quality, water quality, and public health, which is why MCE has developed a position on mining in our state.
MCE has also developed the following fact sheets about different types of mining that is common in Missouri.
