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The first of two meetings to is set for tomorrow for North St. Louis County residents  who want answers to questions about the putrid odor from  smoldering garbage at the Bridgeton Landfill.

 They've also worried about the proximity of the underground fire to radioactive waste at the adjacent West Lake Landfill.

    The Missouri Coalition for the Environment tells KTRS news now those concerns have drawn the attention of Erin Brockovich and her legal team. The environmental activist was portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film about her battle against a utility accused of polluting a small California town's water supply.

     A Los Angeles attorney and an environmental investigator who work with Brockovich will meet with residents and answer their questions tomorrow  morning at eleven at the Operating Engineers Union Hall off  Hollenburg Drive.

   Brockovich, who was initially supposed to attend the meeting, will NOT be there. It’s unclear if her absence is related to her arrest in Nevada last week for boating while intoxicated.

   Local environmental groups have pushed for years to have the Army Corps of Engineers take control of the cleanup and excavate tons of Cold War-era nuclear weapons waste that was deposited illegally in the early 1970s.

    A second meeting is set Monday night with State Rep. Bill Otto, of St. Charles at Pattonville High School.  Otto said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Department of Health and Human Services and technical experts hired by the DNR to assess the landfill fire will be available via webcast to present information and answer questions.

Our rainy weather has postponed the start of repairs to fix a noxious smell at the Bridgeton landfill.  

Landfill owners, Republic Services had warned residents that the smell will get worse during the early phase of moving things around to ultimately snuff the stench.

 Residents who live near by have been offered expenses to stay in a hotel. All work should be completed by June 14th.

   People who live within a mile of the smelly  Bridgeton Landfill are being offered alternative housing until crews remove concrete pipe sections to get rid of the stench.

    The Post Dispatch reports the program is voluntary and will be offered to residents living in Spanish Village,  Terrisan Reste mobile home community  and certain areas of the Carrollton Village Condominiums.

     The landfill is offering to pay hotel lodging fees and taxes at an extended say hotel selected by Bridgeton Landfill officials. 

     The project is expected to last until June 14.

A group of residents worried about health issues from a foul odor a suing the owners of a Bridgeton landfill.

The action follows testing by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources that showed elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air. The noxious compound can cause headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation, and even breathing trouble.

But a representative for the company that owns the landfill, Republic Services, denies any danger. Republic officials say EPA and DNR testing show the odor presents no risk to the public.

A report on the DNR website says the levels of hydrogen sulfide are high enough to warrant monitoring and would pose a health risk if they intensify further.

BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) - State tests show that the odor from the Bridgeton Landfill outside St. Louis is not a health threat.

The Department of Natural Resources on Friday released a summary of recent air sampling results from the landfill. The samples showed "concentrations did not exceed a level of concern for public health." One sample collected near the landfill boundary, however, had a benzene concentration above the level considered safe.

An area deep within the inactive landfill has been smoldering for more than two years, emitting a foul odor that has generated several complaints.

Landfill operator, Phoenix-based Republic Services Inc., says it's spending millions of dollars to address the problem.

An environmental group says more testing is needed.