KSDK.com
by Lisa Zeigman
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KSDK) – For more than 30 years, a former worker has kept a secret.
It is a secret he says is buried beneath the landfill and one that has haunted him for decades. But because of all the recent public health concerns surrounding the landfill, he wanted to share his story.
He says he is fearful about going public but agreed if we protected his identity.
In the 1970s thousands of tons of radioactive uranium and thorium was dumped in the Westlake landfill.
Bob, as we’ll call him, hauled big rock to the crusher and says no one wore gear, they were just happy to have jobs.
The radioactive secrets of Westlake have yet to fully be unearthed, but in 1980 or 81, Bob says he saw something he has never forgotten.
“I seen a large ditch being dug on the field. And then later that evening, right before dark, those two tractor trailers pulled in,” he said.
It took all day he says for workers to dig a ditch about 50 feet deep complete with a dirt ramp.
“Right before dark, they drove two tractor trailers down in the trench,” said Bob. “They pulled in the ground. The drivers got out. They closed the doors and walked out.”
The tractors had no markings. By 11 p.m. the trucks and ditch were covered as if nothing ever happened.
“Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. They wouldn’t have done it that time of day and cover it up so nobody would find it,” Bob said.
Reporter: “How do we know you’re not just making this story up?”
“I worked there and I seen it firsthand, and it wouldn’t benefit me no way to lie about anything,” said Bob.
He never said anything before because he was scared for his safety. But if anyone wants to check out his story, just follow his map.
“This was the landfill office, if you went to the construction field, you made a left turn and went up and approximately in this area is where the trucks and the trailers are buried,” he explained.
Westlake Quarry Company was founded in 1939. The owners left it to the Archdiocese in 1982. In the late 1980s it was declared a Superfund Site and the EPA took over Westlake in 1989. The EPA has no information about the trucks. It remains one of the many secrets buried beneath the landfill.
NewsChannel 5 filmed this interview a few months ago, but held it until we independently verified Bob worked for Westlake Quarry.
http://origin.ksdk.com/news/article/383707/70/I-Team-Secrets-beneath-the-Westlake-landfill-
