Dive Summary:
- Residents who live by a suburban St. Louis landfill are fighting for the removal of nuclear waste that sits 1,200 feet away from a smoldering underground fire.
- The nuclear waste has been burning for months and both the EPA and the owner of the site, Republic Services, have been looking for solutions for both the strong odor and the smoldering fire.
- Experts conclude that the nuclear waste is not combustible, but could contaminate the air.
From the article:
Organizers of the rally said they are flooding lawmakers with requests for action that would either force EPA to remove the waste or turn the matter over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Last month, state Rep. Bill Otto, a Democrat from neighboring St. Charles, called for removal of the nuclear waste, saying the public would be endangered if the atomic material caught fire because contamination could become airborne.
Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Chris Whitley said the nuclear waste, dating back to the 1940s, is not endangered by the underground fire, and if the fire does move toward it, plans are in place to keep the nuclear waste from igniting.
