Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a new analysis of the underground fire smoldering under the Bridgeton landfill in Missouri.
• The report concludes that there could be risks to residents in the area if the underground fire were to reach the radioactive waste buried at the adjacent West Lake landfill.
• The EPA is trying to create a better working relationship between the agency and community, who have been questioning safety and health risks associated with the sites for years. Measures such as a firebreak and a barrier have been put into place at the sites. 

Dive Insight:

Scientists evaluated potential outcomes if the fire came into contact with the nuclear materials and theorized the following: 

• The radioactive materials could potentially explode if a subsurface fire reaches it.
• If temperatures get high enough, the heat could crack open a cap, even if new caps were placed onto the landfill.
• A subsurface fire could force radon and other gasses out into the air without notice, since inspections are only done once a year. 
• Unhealthy levels of radon gas could be released into the environment.