She spent years fighting the EPA over atomic waste. A new cleanup effort is 'decades too late' episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 13, 2025 · 35 MIN

She spent years fighting the EPA over atomic waste. A new cleanup effort is 'decades too late'

from St. Louis on the Air

In January, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that radioactive contamination at the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site is more widespread than previously known. To clean the site, the agency will now have to dig up and dispose of an additional 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris — more than three football fields piled one yard high with material. Nearby resident Dawn Chapman has pushed for accountability and cleanup of the site for 12 years. She’s frustrated that it’s taken decades for the agency to announce what community members — many of whom have died or suffered illness from the exposure — have known for years. She shares her hopes and fears for the future alongside Missouri Independent reporter Allison Kite.

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She spent years fighting the EPA over atomic waste. A new cleanup effort is 'decades too late'

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This episode was published on February 13, 2025.

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In January, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that radioactive contamination at the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site is more widespread than previously known. To clean the site, the agency will now have to dig up and dispose of an...

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