West Lake Landfill

And how a federal agency with a history of “faulty research” became “a shield for polluters.”

The landfill contains thousands of tons of nuclear waste and byproducts from World War II-era atomic bomb development efforts.

An amendment to the annual defense spending bill fell along party lines in the House Rules Committee. The legislation would have added Missouri ZIP codes to the RECA program.

Superfund sites contain extreme pollution. Flooding — made worse by climate change — could carry toxic contaminants into surrounding areas.

Nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region dates back to the 1940s. Documents show leaders of Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which processed uranium in St. Louis, knew of the contamination risks in 1949.

The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press spent months combing through thousands of pages of previously-unreleased government records that show radioactive waste was known to pose a threat to people living near Coldwater Creek as early as 1949. But federal officials repeatedly wrote potential risks off as ‘slight,’ ‘minimal’ or ‘low-level.’

Despite pleas from community members who say the landfill is responsible for mysterious illnesses, federal environmental regulators said Tuesday they can’t provide a timeline for cleanup.

The EPA admits that nuclear waste at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site is more extensive than previously stated. The timeline to begin cleanup has been delayed due to the need for additional testing.

For those concerned about Superfund sites in Missouri and Illinois, the EPA’s newly announced cleanup plans for 49 sites across the U.S come as great news. But community members say it’s also a reminder of just how much work still needs to be done.

As companies vie for a potential lease on St. Louis Lambert International Airport, a big focus is on the land around it — and how it could be…