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Fact Sheet

November 2012

Update on Activities Supporting the Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, Bridgeton, Missouri

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has been working in the Bridgeton community to address environmental issues at the West Lake Landfill over a multi-year period. The West Lake Landfill is comprised of two operable units (OUs). OU-1 contains a mixture of radiologically-contaminated soils, municipal refuse and construction/demolition debris. OU-2 includes several sanitary landfill cells containing municipal refuse and construction/demolition debris.

After conducting extensive investigations, holding numerous public forums, and responding in detail to public comments, EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-1 in May 2008. This decision document outlined the selected remedy, which included the placement of an engineered cover system over the radiologically-contaminated areas, long-term groundwater monitoring, and the adoption of institutional controls to restrict access.

After the ROD was signed, EPA continued to receive public comments about the selected remedy. In response to those comments, EPA tasked the potentially-responsible parties (PRPs) to conduct a Supplemental Feasibility Study (SFS) for OU-1 that further evaluated the ROD-selected remedy, as well as full-scale excavation of the radiologically-contaminated landfill material and disposal either at a permitted off-site facility or in a new, on-site engineered disposal cell.

The SFS Work Plan was released to the public in June 2010 and the PRPs proceeded to perform the SFS. After reviewing several draft versions of the SFS Report, EPA approved and released it to the public in December 2011. The estimated costs defined for each alternative in the SFS Report exceeded the threshold, which triggered an early consultation with EPA’s National Remedy Review Board (NRRB). Since January 2012, the NRRB has provided suggestions relating to the SFS Report for consideration. These include: evaluating additional groundwater sampling to refresh the data; conducting a more detailed study of the partial excavation alternative; and conducting a more detailed analysis of potential treatment technologies for the radiologically-contaminated landfill material. In June 2012, EPA Region 7 tasked the PRPs to conduct this work as an amendment to its original Consent Order.

In response to more general NRRB suggestions, EPA Region 7 also decided to update gamma scans of the surface of OU-1 and conduct vertical gamma scans of monitoring wells at the site. EPA Region 7 will perform these gamma scans.

In July and August 2012, the PRPs performed the additional groundwater sampling suggested by the NRRB. The data from this sampling event is currently being evaluated by EPA.

Additional work will be performed under the following proposed 2012/2013 schedule:

Summer 2012-2013 – Additional studies to address the NRRB draft comments. (PRPs to perform, with EPA oversight).

November 2012 – Gamma scan measurements taken at the monitoring wells at the site to further refine distribution of radiologically-impacted wastes (EPA staff to conduct).

January 2013 – EPA will host a Public Meeting. Once the meeting date is established, an announcement will be placed in the local newspaper in advance of the meeting.

2013 – Gamma scans of the OU-1 surface to further refine distribution of radiologically-impacted wastes (EPA staff to conduct).

Once this work is completed, EPA will make a formal presentation to the NRRB on the results of the SFS and the additional work described above.

AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS

The SFS Report is available online at:
www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/npl_files/west_lake_landfill

The Administrative Record and other site-related documents for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site are available for review at the following locations:

Bridgeton Trails Branch
St. Louis County Library
3455 McKelvey Road
Bridgeton, Missouri 63044

     AND

EPA Region 7 Records Center
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa,  Kansas 66219
1-800-223-0425

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have questions about this Fact Sheet, or need additional information about the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, please contact:

Debbie Kring
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa, Kansas 66219
Phone: 913-551-7725
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
kring.debbie@epa.gov

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