The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, Operable Units (OUs) 1 and 2, located in Bridgeton, Missouri. The ESD includes adjustments to the existing cleanup plans but maintains the fundamental elements of the remedy.
According to the EPA, the partial excavation of radiologically-impacted material with off-site disposal, an engineered cover over remaining contamination on-site, and excavation of Lot 2A2 to background levels will proceed as planned.
Adjustments outlined in the ESD include an expansion of OU-1 and a decrease in the extent of OU-2. There is also an increase in the estimated cost for cleaning up OU-1 and a decrease for OU-2. A waiver for certain landfill slope requirements has been introduced. Changes have been made to allow direct loading of radiologically-impacted material to expedite off-site shipment and disposal. Additionally, confirmation sampling requirements are now shifted to pre-excavation sampling to minimize delays during excavation. The requirement for an on-site lab has been eliminated; samples will instead be analyzed by a certified commercial lab off-site.
EPA Region 7 shared these updates with the community at an Open House held in Bridgeton on August 29, 2024. The technical presentation detailing these changes is available on EPA’s website, along with a video from the Open House.
The full ESD document can be accessed on EPA’s Site Profile page under Featured Documents.
