The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appears likely this week to issue its final record of decision for cleanup of the radioactively contaminated West Lake Landfill near St. Louis, Mo.
Then-EPA Director Scott Pruitt in February announced the agency’s proposed approach to the project: partial excavation, in which soil contaminated at 52.9 picocuries per gram or more would be removed to 16 feet below ground. The contaminated area would then be topped with an engineered cover. Officials said at the time the work was expected to last five years and cost $236 million.
The anticipated plan was opened for public comment through April 23. The final step in formalizing the remediation approach would be signing the amended version of the existing record of decision for remediation at West Lake, which the EPA pledged would occur by Sept. 30. That is next Sunday, suggesting formal action would happen at least a couple days earlier.
“[W]e remain committed to announcing the final remedy decision by September 30,” Ben Washburn, spokesman for EPA Region 7, said by email on Sept. 10.
There was no word Friday from the agency about any change to its schedule.
More than 4,200 comments on the preferred cleanup plan were posted to the EPA website.
Two contaminated zones at the landfill hold 8,700 tons of leached barium sulfate dating to the Manhattan Project, which were mixed with 38,000 tons of soil for use in 1973 as cover for trash at the landfill. West Lake is part of the 200-acre West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, along with the adjoining Bridgeton Landfill.
Following final approval of the cleanup method, the EPA will start work with the potentially responsible parties for the landfill: the Department of Energy, power company Exelon, and site owner Republic Services. Those entities would be responsible for remedial design and action, along with paying for the work.
