Congressman John Shimkus’ (R-Ill.) legislation aimed at advancing development of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository also sets a deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare a final remedy for the West Lake Landfill in Missouri.
“Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall submit to Congress a report containing the final remedy to be implemented at the West Lake Landfill and the expected timeline for implementation of such final remedy,” according to language tucked at the bottom of the version of H.R. 3053 reported to the House on Thursday.
That provision was not in the version of the legislation introduced in June. Details of its inclusion were not immediately available; a spokesman for Shimkus did not respond to a query Friday.
West Lake contains waste from the former uranium production facility at Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis. It is encompassed within a federal Superfund site, alongside the adjacent Bridgeton Landfill, where an underground fire has been smoldering since 2010.
The EPA is evaluating two technical documents – a draft final feasibility study and draft remedial investigation addendum – that would precede a remedy plan. An EPA spokesman did not respond Friday to questions regarding the timeline for preparing the remedy or its ability to meet the deadline set under Shimkus’ bill.
House leadership on Thursday posted the legislation to lower chamber’s Union Calendar, setting it up for a possible floor vote. However, a vote had not been scheduled as of Friday.
