How did the Bridgeton landfill fire start?

How did the Bridgeton landfill fire start?

How and when did the fire start at the Bridgeton Landfill? On Dec. 23, 2010, Bridgeton Landfill LLC reported to the MDNR that elevated temperatures had been detected in some gas extraction wells in the south quarry of the landfill.

What is the current problem major concern that is occurring at the West Lake Landfill?

At a meeting Thursday evening, residents near the West Lake Landfill Superfund site expressed concerns about being exposed to odors and radiocative materials at the site during the excavation.

How did the St Louis Missouri coal fire start?

The cause of the fire is unknown. For years, the most immediate concern has been an odor created by the smoldering. Republic Services is spending millions of dollars to ease or eliminate the smell by removing concrete pipes that allowed the odor to escape and installing plastic caps over parts of the landfill.

How did radioactive waste end up in the West Lake Landfill?

The waste was created during World War II, when St. Louis-based Mallinckrodt Chemical Works purified uranium for nuclear weapons research. The waste was eventually purchased by Cotter Corporation, then illegally dumped in north St. Louis County in 1973.

Why are coal seam fires hard to put out?

“Unlike timber, coal when it gets hot has massive thermal mass which is very hard to extinguish. Coal fires are created by the interaction of carbon, oxygen and heat, which in turn produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and more heat to fuel the reaction.

What kind of reaction is occurring in the Bridgeton landfill?

Bridgeton Landfill is an inactive landfill that is experiencing a subsurface, heat-producing reaction. The reaction is occurring deep within the landfill. It causes waste to decompose at an accelerated rate, producing excess gas and liquid. Odor is the byproduct of this gas and liquid.

What materials were disposed of in the West Lake Landfill?

The West Lake Landfill has been used since 1962 for the disposal of municipal refuse, industrial solid and liquid wastes, and construction demolition debris. Between 1939 and the spring of 1987, limestone was quarried there.

What is occurring and has occurred at the West Lake Landfill and surrounding communities?

West Lake Landfill is a closed, unlined mixed-waste landfill located in Bridgeton, Missouri. It was featured in the 2015 documentaries The First Secret City, The Safe Side of the Fence and the 2017 HBO documentary Atomic Homefront….

When did St Louis burn down?

Shortly after midnight, on July 12, 1973, a fire was reported at the NPRC’s military personnel records building at 9700 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, MO. Firefighters arrived on the scene only 4 minutes and 20 seconds after the first alarm sounded and entered the building.

How long will a coal fire burn for?

The volatile smoke released by the coal can still catch fire and can burn for up to 30 minutes.

Where is the landfill in Bridgeton MO?

Bridgeton is a suburb of St. Louis in northwestern St. Louis County. It has a population of about 11,500 people. The West Lake Landfill and Bridgeton Landfill sit about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis. Why is there radioactive material in the landfill?

What happened to West Lake Landfill?

The EPA unveiled its Record of Decision (ROD) in 2008 for West Lake Landfill. In 2009, a group of local activists who opposed the 2008 ROD persuaded the EPA to conduct further study. A supplemental feasibility study was released in 2011 and in 2013, the EPA reported that the waste remained contained and posed no safety risk.

Why is Missouri’s Attorney General pursuing legal action against a landfill?

And Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has pursued legal action against the site. How it’s being handled serves as an important lesson for the industry for several reasons. Reactions and elevated temperatures at landfills are an industry-wide concern.

How bad is the air quality at the landfill?

Since 2012, various studies have found no public health risk associated with the air conditions at the landfill. A recent survey from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health found slightly higher rates of asthma, but found there was no statistically significant difference between households near the site and control households.