West Lake Update
April 28, 2014
Air Monitoring Plans Taking Shape
EPA has made substantial progress on the off-site air monitoring program to be conducted before, during, and after construction of the isolation barrier. The off-site air monitoring program is an important component of the pre-conEPA On-Scene Coordinators deploying struction air monitoring equipment activities, and will complement the ongoing on-site air monitoring being conducted by the potentially responsible parties. EPA Region 7 will operate the off-site air monitors. Over the past few weeks, EPA has arranged for placement of the air monitoring stations at the following locations: Robertson Fire Protection District on Taussig Road, Bridgeton, Mo.; Pattonville Fire Department Administration Building on St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, Mo.; Pattonville Fire Department #2 on McKelvey Road, Hazelwood, Mo.; St. Charles Fire Department #2 on South Main Street, St. Charles, Mo.; and the Spanish Village Park on Spanish Village Drive, Bridgeton, Mo. In addition, an EPA office trailer has been set up at the Robertson Fire Protection District. The off-site air monitoring will include particulate matter, including sampling for alpha, beta, and gamma radiation and related constituents, and volatile organic compounds. EPA expects the off-site air monitoring network to be partially operational by mid-May and fully operational shortly thereafter. The on-site and off-site air monitoring will provide a robust air monitoring network to ensure that work on the isolation barrier does not pose a threat to those living in the areas around the landfill.
EPA Region 7 is supporting St. Louis County Emergency Management in its contingency planning efforts. St. Louis County is developing an Incident Action Plan in order to be prepared for potential emergency situations that could arise at or near the West Lake Landfill Site. The St. Louis County plan will be shared with St. Charles County which may conduct a similar effort. St. Louis County officials said they will establish a point-of-contact for inquiries and will make the plan available upon request. EPA has supported this planning effort since March 2014 by participating in biweekly planning calls, reviewing and commenting on the draft plan, and providing a fact sheet to the county on EPAs response assets as well as those EPA can access from other federal agencies and special teams through the National Response System. The fact sheet can be found on EPAs West Lake webpage at www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/ west_lake_landfill/pdf/mixed-rad-haz-response-factsheet.pdf
EPA Supports Local Emergency Planning Efforts
EPAs Emergency Response Program and Radiological Response Capabilities
Community Inquiries
Ben Washburn 913-551-7364 Washburn.Ben@epa.gov
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EPA operates a nation-wide emergency response program in order to respond to releases of oil and hazardous substances resulting from spills, acciEPA Emergency Response Vehicle dents, or natural disasters. EPAs Emergency Response Program has provided critical support for some of the countrys most devastating spills and natural disasters, including the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina, and the Joplin tornado. As part of its Emergency Response capabilities, EPA maintains expertise and equipment for radiological events and disasters. In particular, EPA operates the Radiological Emergency Response Team with teams based in Montgomery, Ala., and Las Vegas, Nev., and EPA maintains radiological response capabilities in all 10 EPA regions. These assets can be quickly called into action whenever needed anywhere in the country. For more information about EPAs response capabilities, visit our website at www.epa.gov/OEM/
