Photography courtesy of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Last month, we wrote about a fire (or as officials call it, a "subsurface smoldering event") at the Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill. As temperatures have risen deep underground, an increasingly foul odor has drifted into the surrounding communities. Last Friday, we reported on how area residents say their lives have been affected by the ever-present stench. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, air samples from the area contain a level of hydrogen sulfide that could potentially pose a health risk. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide is associated with headaches, difficulty breathing, and irritation to eyes, nose, and throat. It goes without saying that this whole ordeal has been more than irritating for many locals.
Then came the news yesterday that the smell was intensifying yet again. The combination of weather conditions (low winds, high barometric pressure) and underground work being done at the landfill by owner Republic Services has led to "increased odors," according to a DNR statement.
In response, Republic Services has offered to pay for residents who live within a mile of the landfill (roughly 270 households) to stay in a hotel from May 20 to June 14, while the company completes various projects at the landfill. The point of those initiatives is to reduce the smell and eventually put out the fire, but the message from Republic Services seems to be that things are going to get worse before they get better.
And while the offer to relocate residents is a nice gesture, it doesn't do much for the many people who work in the area. On a Facebook page dedicated to both the Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill and the nearby West Lake Landfill, employees at DePaul Health Center say the smell has infiltrated the hospital, making it difficult to treat patients because of the "overwhelming" odor.
Speaking of the West Lake Landfill, it contains nuclear waste, leftovers from atomic bomb production. As the Post-Dispatch reported, "state officials have said the possibility of a fire reaching the radioactive materials is remote." Reassuring, huh? I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned, the only acceptable level or risk that a landfill fire might burn its way into a stockpile of nuclear waste is zero. "Remote," while better than "likely," doesn't quite cut it.
It's no surprise, then, that Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has sued Republic Services for violating state environmental laws. A hearing is scheduled for May 14. Given the usual snail's pace of our criminal justice system, that case probably won't offer any immediate relief to residents. Their best hope might be the various construction projects that Republic Services is working on to alleviate the odor, though they have been moving slowly, too. A construction schedule on the DNR website details completed construction, though none of it seems to be alleviating the odor.
As long as the stench remains, it represents more than just a nuisance for local residents; it's an embarrassment for our region. We live in a place where landfill fires burn next to nuclear waste dumps. I bet tourists will be lining up to visit a city like that.
