West Lake Landfill Becomes Hot Topic at Florissant Council Work Session

It looks like the Florissant City Council will be putting a resolution regarding the West Lake Landfill on the back burner.

At the council’s public work session Wednesday night, City Councilors weighed the possibility of making a resolution regarding the West Lake Landfill, while several supporters in the audience pushed for the resolution to happen.

City Engineer Tim Barrett presented his concerns on the supplemental feasibility report provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and said that more answers and information need to be provided before any decisions should be made.

Ward 2 Councilman John Grib said that he supported the EPA’s suggestion of capping the radioactive portion of the landfill and monitoring it. He also said that the EPA’s suggestion seems to be the least harmful option for the area.

(Check out our previous coverage of West Lake Landfill at this link.)

But staunch supporters of the landfill being moved elsewhere made sure to have their voices heard.

Missouri Coalition for the Environment Safe Energy Director Ed Smith pointed out to the council several articles and items regarding the landfill and its possible harmful effects for North St. Louis County.

But Councilman Grib stood firm in his opinions on the matter.

“It’s my opinion, we shouldn’t pass this resolution,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable putting my name on this.”

For more than an hour, Grib, Smith, University City resident Kay Drey and Washington University Professor Bob Criss seemed deadlocked on the landfill issue.

The turning point seemed to come about when Ward 3 Councilman Joe Eagan asked Smith whether the Bridgeton City Council or state of Missouri had taken a stance on the issue. Smith said that he had not spoken to either one yet.

“I don’t know if it’s our place to start the ball rolling,” Grib said. He suggested that Smith and others speak to senators and representatives before moving further with the matter in Florissant.

Ward 4 Councilman Keith English pointed out that Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Rep. William “Lacy” Clay (D-MO) and Sen. Tim Green (D-Florissant) had written letters regarding their thoughts on the issue.

“In 2008, the EPA’s Selected Remedy was to put rocks, construction rubble and clay on top of the radioactive waste,” Rep. Carnahan wrote in a letter. “After studying the issue for the past several years, the EPA has determined that this is the best course of action. I’m not satisfied.”

English said at the end of the discussion he didn’t think the Council was ready to take action on a resolution at this time or in the next couple of weeks. Drey and others pushed for a resolution that would have supported the transfer of the landfill from EPA's responsibility to the Army Corps of Engineers, who has been cleaning other landfill sites.

Smith said after the meeting that he will continue to build local support and continue to try and work with municipal councils.

The 200-acre landfill site has been a sticking point for those in the area for many years with concerns of radioactive materials and it's possible contamination of North County's drinking water.

Previously, the EPA offered a Record of Decision that the landfill would be covered and scheduled for long-term monitoring. However, further studying has been done, but no other action has been taken on the situation.

Drey said that no other Record of Decision has been issued but that there are three possible options for the landfill, including:

• Leave the radioactive waste and cover it, as proposed by the original Record of Decision;
• Dig up the radioactive waste from the floodplain and cover it elsewhere;
• Clean up the waste and send it to a deserted area where no one could be harmed.