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EPA says pre-excavation sampling at Westlake Landfill about one-third complete; cleanup design on track for 2026
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Summary
EPA remedial project manager Tom Mailer told the Bridgeton City Council that pre-excavation confirmation sampling at the Westlake Landfill is about 31% complete and that remedial design aims to finish by summer 2026, with excavation targeted for 2027, depending on results and agreements with responsible parties.
Tom Mailer, remedial project manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, updated the Bridgeton City Council on the Westlake Landfill site on Sept. 3, saying pre-excavation confirmation sampling is underway and roughly "31% done." Mailer described a three-operable-unit approach: Operable Unit 1 covers radioactive material, Operable Unit 2 covers the rest of the landfill, and a groundwater operable unit covers the whole site. "We anticipate this work being done by around Thanksgiving time," Mailer said of the current round of borings, adding that further borings could be required if higher concentrations are found. Why it matters: the Westlake Landfill cleanup has drawn sustained local attention because of radioactive material previously identified on the site. EPA's sampling and design schedule dictates when on-the-ground excavation and removal will start and what interim protections are needed. Mailer said the pre-excavation work includes roughly 495 planned sample locations, about 20% of which reuse existing borings and about 80% that are new borings placed just outside planned excavation areas. He said the PRPs (potentially responsible parties) will provide a 100% design report in October for EPA review and that the agency aims to complete the remedial design by summer 2026. "After that is done, we need to get a signed agreement with the responsible parties for them to actually conduct the remedial action," Mailer said, adding that the agency tracks toward beginning excavation "towards the 2027." Mailer also said EPA will hold public meetings when the design is complete as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process and that a technical community advisory group, led locally by Don Chapman and Karen Nickel, has regular engagement with EPA. For immediate questions, Mailer directed the public to contact Jessica Evans, the EPA community-involvement lead for the site. No council action was taken; council members asked scheduling and public-engagement questions and Mailer confirmed EPA will share design comments publicly.
