BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri test results reveal that stormwater from just outside a landfill complex contains radioactive contaminants.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Missouri Department of Natural Resources found levels of alpha particles that exceeded the threshold allowed for drinking water outside the West Lake Landfill.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the data doesn't signal a public health risk because stormwater doesn't represent a source of drinking water. Alpha particles are a form of radiation that needs to be ingested to pose a significant health threat.
The department says the alpha readings released last month couldn't be attributed to uranium and radium that were tested for, so the agency is conducting additional tests for thorium as a potential cause for high particle levels.
