Fact Sheet: EPA Issues Final Amended Remedy (PDF)(14 pp, 6.43 MB, 9/27/18)

EPA has selected the final amended remedy for addressing contamination at the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site in Bridgeton, Missouri. The final amended remedy is documented in the Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment for Operable Unit 1 (OU-1). The ROD Amendment may be found below. The ROD Amendment paves the way to the remedial design phase. Once the design begins for OU-1, it will take about a year and a half to complete. Once the design is complete, EPA will make every effort to reach an enforceable agreement with the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to perform the cleanup work. Earlier this year, EPA presented a Proposed Plan (Preferred Alternative #4) that specified excavation of some materials contaminated with radioactivity down to 16 feet. After considering public comments, EPA determined that we could improve, or optimize, the remedy to achieve the same level of protection as Preferred Alternative #4 in the Proposed Plan. more

Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment, includes Responsiveness Summary (Part III) (PDF)(306 pp, 28.15 MB, 9/27/18)

This decision document presents the Amended Remedy for Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) of the West Lake Landfill Site (Site) in Bridgeton, Missouri, which was chosen in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), 42 U.S.C. § § 9601 et seq., and, to the extent practicable, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 C.F.R. Part 300. Figures 1 through 4 depict the approximate boundaries of the Site. This decision is based on the Administrative Record (AR) for OU-1 of the Site. This Amendment fundamentally alters the remedy selected in the 2008 Record of Decision for OU-1 (2008 ROD) with respect to scope, performance and cost. more

News Release: EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler Signs Final Remedy Decision for West Lake Landfill(9/27/18)

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site in Bridgeton, Mo.  This document amends the 2008 ROD and finalizes the agency’s cleanup decision for Operable Unit 1 at the site.  EPA issued its proposed plan on February 6, 2018. “EPA made a commitment to the people of Missouri to finalize a cleanup plan for the West Lake Landfill Superfund site, and today we are delivering on that commitment,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “The improvements we’ve made in our final remedy will speed up construction time by a year and reduce exposure to the community and cleanup workers while still removing virtually the same total amount of radioactivity.” more

Public Comments Available on EPA's Proposed Plan(7/16/18)

EPA Region 7 has posted a new online collection with all of the more than 4,200 public comments received in response to the Agency's Proposed Plan. The Proposed Plan, released earlier in 2018, details EPA's preferred alternative, which would amend the 2008 Record of Decision (ROD) to excavate Radiologically Impacted Material greater than 52.9 pCi/g down to a 16-foot depth, and install an engineered cover. EPA specifically sought comments related to the depth and concentration criteria, as well as disposal options for the excavated radioactive material. The Agency is releasing the public comments prior to the publication of the final ROD Amendment and Responsiveness Summary in response to requests from the public. This early release of comments is consistent with EPA’s goals for transparency and is appropriate for certain sites with significant public interest. Some information has been redacted to protect the personal privacy of the people who submitted comments. When completed, the Responsiveness Summary will provide a comprehensive response to all significant public comments. EPA anticipates releasing the Responsiveness Summary along with the ROD Amendment by Sept. 30, 2018. 

West Lake Update: Public Comment Period Extended through April 23; EPA Refutes False Statement in Flyer from Unnamed Source - Here are the Facts; March 6 Public Meeting (photos) (PDF)(2 pp, 1.4 MB, 4/16/18)

On February 6, EPA announced a proposed remedy for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site located in Bridgeton, Missouri. The proposed remedy calls for excavation of radiologically impacted material (RIM) found anywhere within the top 16 feet of the surface that exceeds 52.9 picocuries per gram, followed by construction of a permanent engineered cover system. When EPA announced the remedy, it also announced a 45-day public comment period from February 6 through March 22. EPA has received and approved a request to extend the public comment period by 30 days. The public comment period is open through April 23. more

EPA Response to PRP Meeting Topics (PDF)(2 pp, 597 K, 3/27/18)

On February 23, 2018, representatives of the Potentially Responsible Parties, or PRPs, provided topics to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in advance of a meeting held on February 27, 2018, between the PRPs’ representatives and the EPA staff in the Regional Office. The EPA encourages all stakeholders to submit official comments on the Proposed Plan, including on the information presented below, so that the EPA may develop a complete response in the Responsiveness Summary. However, to assist stakeholders, including the PRPs and interested members of the public in understanding the information contained in the Proposed Plan, the EPA is providing the following references to certain supporting information contained in the Operable Unit-1, or OU-1, Administrative Record file. more

EPA Response to CAG Meeting Questions (PDF)(8 pp, 997 K, 3/23/18)

On February 20, 2018, the Community Advisory Group (CAG) Technical Committee submitted the following list of questions to Region 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in advance of a teleconference held between CAG members and Region 7 staff on February 22, 2018. The EPA encourages the CAG to submit official comments on the Proposed Plan, including some of the information presented below, so that the EPA may develop a complete response in the Responsiveness Summary. However, to assist the CAG and other interested members of the public in understanding the information contained in the Proposed Plan, the EPA is providing the following references to certain supporting information contained in the Operable Unit-1 (OU-1) Administrative Record file. more

3D Videos of RIM in West Lake Landfill Operable Unit 1, Areas 1 and 2

These two videos depict 3D models that estimate the location of radiologically impacted material (RIM) in Operable Unit 1, Areas 1 and 2: download Area 1 video(4:18, 344 MB, 1/2/18, mp4); download Area 2 video(5:12, 415 MB, 1/2/18, mp4). NOTE: The videos may take several minutes to download, due to their large file sizes.

West Lake Landfill Superfund Site - Proposed Plan Public Comment Meeting (PDF)(22 pp, 2.78 MB, 3/6/18)

This presentation covers topics including: Superfund Law and Process, Progress Timeline, Site Map, 3D Geostatistical Models of RIM (Areas 1 and 2), Alternatives Evaluated, Preferred Alternative, Public Comments, and Public Comment Period

West Lake Update: Proposed Plan and Public Comment Period - EPA Selects “Excavation Plus” as Proposed Remedy for West Lake Landfill; Public Comment Period February 6 through April 23; Public Meeting (PDF)(2 pp, 1.37 MB, 3/2/18)

On Thursday, February 1, 2018, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced his decision to propose excavation to remove radioactively impacted material (RIM) from the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri. Known as “Excavation Plus,” the proposed remedy will remove a majority of the radioactivity from the landfill while protecting on-site workers, the surrounding community, and groundwater at the Site. The preferred alternative to amend the 2008 Record of Decision for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, referred to as Alternative 4 in the Proposed Plan, would excavate RIM with a concentration greater than 52.9 picocuries per gram (pCi/g), to a maximum depth of 16 feet. more

News Release: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Announces West Lake Landfill Superfund Proposed Remedy(2/1/18)

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the proposed remedy for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site in Bridgeton, Missouri. “The people of the St. Louis region deserve clarity and answers with respect to the remediation of the West Lake Landfill,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “I promised them an answer, and today I am making good on that commitment. I am pleased to announce a proposed remedy that will strategically excavate and remove within five years all the radioactive material that poses a risk to public health..." more

Corrected Proposed Plan, West Lake Landfill OU-1 (PDF)(29 pp, 3.86 MB, 2/6/18)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public to review and comment on this proposed plan to amend the Record of Decision (ROD) for Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) of the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site (Site) in Bridgeton, Missouri. The Site is an approximately 200-acre, inactive solid waste disposal facility (Figure 1). OU-1 addresses risks associated with radiologically contaminated soil and landfilled wastes at the Site. This proposal announces the EPA’s preferred alternative that will amend the ROD for OU-1. This proposed plan provides the rationale for this preference and includes summaries of the other cleanup alternatives evaluated. In May 2008, the EPA issued a ROD selecting a cap-in-place remedy for the radiological portions of the Site that comprise OU-1. As a result of stakeholder and community concern following the 2008 ROD, the EPA determined that further evaluation of remedial alternatives was warranted and... more

Final Feasibility Study, West Lake Landfill Operable Unit 1 (PDF)(841 pp, 49 MB, 1/26/18)

Appendices (PDF)(1,481 pp, 131 MB, 1/26/18)

This Final Feasibility Study (FFS) for Operable Unit-1 (OU-1) of the West Lake Landfill (the Site) was prepared at the direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to present further evaluation of potential remedial alternatives to address the presence of radiologically impacted materials (RIM) contained within portions of some of the landfill units at the Site. This FFS was prepared in accordance with the requirements of... more  (Previous versions of the FFS and related correspondence can be found in the Document Collection.)

EPA Comment Letter Approving Final Feasibility Study (PDF)(91 pp, 4.08 MB, 2/5/18)

Remedial Investigation Addendum (RIA) Report, West Lake Landfill Operable Unit 1 (PDF)(637 pp, 70 MB, 1/25/18)

Appendices(1/25/18): A-D (PDF)(12,892 pp, 483 MB); E-F (PDF)(343 pp, 62 MB); G-P (PDF)(2,384 pp, 358 MB)

This revised draft Remedial Investigation Addendum (RIA) has been prepared for Operable Unit-1 (OU-1) of the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site (Site). It is being submitted in accordance with the EPA’s... more  (Previous versions of the RIA Report and related correspondence can be found in the Document Collection.)

EPA Comment Letter Approving RIA Report (PDF)(1 pg, 644.34 K, 2/2/18)