A lawsuit between Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and the operator of the Bridgeton and West Lake landfills has been sent back to St. Louis County’s Circuit Court by a federal judge.
That’s a win for activists, who felt that Republic Services’ nearly seven-month long attempt to push the case to federal court delayed cleanup efforts at the federal Superfund site. In the ruling, the judge said Republic relied on "hand-picked excerpts from lengthy expert reports" to make their case. The two parties will be responsible for their own legal fees.
In a statement, Republic said the ruling now clears the path for the Environmental Protection Agency to continue its plan to build an isolation barrier between the Manhattan Project-era radioactive waste in the West Lake Landfill, and an underground smoldering fire beneath the Bridgeton Landfill.
Koster's office did not immediately return a request for comment.
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