Letter to the Editor: West Lake (Missouri) site is safe

January 19, 2018

To the Editor:

Excavation of West Lake Landfill is not necessary. The state of Missouri and the federal government have deemed the site safe. Moving the process any further down the road is not a responsible use of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resources (http://www.www.capitolbeatok.com/letter-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-west-lake-landfill-misplaced-priority-for-epa). 

With the low concentrations of Uranium-238, Thorium-230, and Thorium-226 in the buffer zone of the West Lake landfill there is no need for the EPA to remove the radiological waste since the concentrations were found to be at or slightly above background levels.
Environmentalists have long known that picketing, chanting and generally causing a ruckus is more than enough to help get their way at the EPA. Fear mongering should not be how we set policy. 

The West Lake Landfill does not need to be moved. There are plenty of other sites across the United States that would be a better use of EPA resources. 

I hope that Administrator Scott Pruitt resists the urge to take the politically expedient path. The EPA should listen to its scientists on this one. 

Kyle Stoltz 
Editor’s Note: Stoltz is a Ph.D. candidate (Physics) at Oklahoma State University.
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