EPA Announces Completion of Pre-Excavation Confirmation Sampling at West Lake Landfill Superfund Site
LENEXA, KAN. (MARCH 24, 2026) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the completion of pre-excavation confirmation sampling at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site in Bridgeton, Missouri, continuing the agency’s mission in the Heartland to protect human health and the environment. This progress comes on the heels of last year’s update that cut nearly two years off of the initial draft timeline for the site to expedite the cleanup from a May 2029 excavation start date to a 2027 excavation start date.
Completing the confirmation sampling was an important step in expediting the cleanup process by decreasing the time in which excavated areas are open. This will reduce health and safety risks for workers as well as risks to the environment. Completing the confirmation sampling also enables the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to finalize excavation plans for the Remedial Design that meet the West Lake Landfill’s remedy requirements.
“I am happy to announce that we are one step closer to meeting the goal set by Administrator Zeldin within the first three months of his term – accelerating the cleanup of the West Lake Landfill,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. “The West Lake Landfill is a complex Superfund site. While we are encouraged by this progress, challenges may remain – and if they appear, we will tackle them head-on.”
As documented in the May 2025 Statement of Work, the remaining parts of the final, 100 percent Remedial Design package that incorporate the results of the pre-excavation confirmation sampling are due to EPA 150 days after the sampling data is validated.
The final, 100 percent Remedial Design package will also need to be reviewed and accepted by the EPA before it is certified by a professional engineer and receives its state of Missouri-required engineer-reviewed seal. Once this process is complete, the Remedial Design for the West Lake Landfill Superfund site, Operable Unit (OU) 1, will be considered complete.
Pre-excavation confirmation sampling, performed by the PRPs and overseen by the EPA, meets requirements outlined in the 2018 Record of Decision Amendment and the 2025 Explanation of Significant Differences. The 2018 amended remedy requires the PRPs to excavate Radiologically Impacted Material, or RIM, at concentrations greater than 52.9 picocuries per gram (pCi/g); dispose of the excavated RIM in an off-site disposal facility permitted for radioactive waste; and build an engineered cover over all RIM left on-site with concentrations greater than 7.9 pCi/g.
Individuals that have additional questions about EPA’s activities at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site are encouraged to reach out to EPA’s West Lake Landfill community liaison, Jessica Evans.
Learn more about the West Lake Landfill Superfund site.
Visit the West Lake Landfill Dashboard.
Read the West Lake Landfill Operable Unit 1 April 2025 Remediation Timeline Evaluation.
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