Dive Brief:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers all refused to send representatives to a West Lake Landfill meeting on Monday night after online threats were made toward the agencies on a Facebook page. 
• The threats — which were reportedly made by one person and have been removed — were believed to be in response to a recent article which suggests radiation at the Bridgeton, MO Landfill may not be as serious as many believe. Post-Dispatch reports one of the comments included, "Let's put these murderers and bribe-takers in the ground."
• The meetings are usually held once a month to discuss the ongoing concern of a smoldering fire at the Bridgeton Landfill reaching hazardous contamination at the adjacent West Lake Landfill. 

Dive Insight:

The saga continues. For five years, Missouri residents, the government, and the media have followed developments at the Bridgeton and West Lake Landfills, patiently waiting for a concrete plan to be put in place so nearby residents are kept safe from toxic radiation. 

And, some stakeholders are starting to lose their patience.

The Post-Dispatch reports that some residents in St. Louis County have practiced emergency procedures with their children, sold their homes, and sued for damages due to the threat of contamination at the landfills and other various environmental sites. As the case gets tossed from court to court, there isn't much progress being made.

Now as experts claim that the level of harm posed by the landfills is potentially overblown, some residents may believe this is just a way to delay a solution even longer.

Recently, residents living within two miles of the Bridgeton Landfill were surveyed for respiratory conditions to determine if they were in harm.