Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, is now the biggest shareholder in Republic Services, which operates an exploding landfill near a nuclear waste site.
Funny thing is they don't want to call it an explosion. It's being called a "void space with pressurized gas." Or "a violent forceful event."
The violent forceful event follows months of complaints by residents who live near Bridgeton Landfill. They were smelling foul odors that came from the landfill's underground fire. KMOV reports:
Dawn Chapman, who lives more than two miles away, says she smelled the foul odors in her neighborhood.
She has concerns that what’s burning underground could reach the nearby Westlake landfill just to the north, which has radioactive waste...
Republic Services out of Arizona operates the landfill. Two years ago, it found underground temperatures were increasing dramatically and began drilling to reduce the heat, in the process releasing the smelly gas.
The company has said repeatedly that because the landfill sits in a huge limestone quarry that acts as a barrier under the ground, there’s no way any sort of fire could reach Westlake.
“Isn’t that the same thing they said about the Titantic,” said resident Mark Neels. “I’m a historian by trade and what I’ve discovered is that hypotheticals have a funny way of becoming reality.”That comment inspired a poem, to be sung to the tune of "It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down."
It Was Sad When the Landfill Blew Up
Oh they built Allied/Republic
To pick up the trash from you
And the more they charge your city, then your taxes go up too
Republic wants to make more dough
So safety's the first thing to go
It was sad when the landfill blew up.
CHORUS:
It was sad. It was sad.
It was sad when the landfill blew up.
Trash building up methane gas...it was too good to last
It was sad when Republic's landfill blew up.
Nuclear waste was dumped
A bunch of years ago
And it's right next to this landfill
That's on fire down below
Republic claims it's as safe as can be
To have fire near radioactivity
It was sad when the landfill blew up.
[CHORUS]
Now, Bill Gates is the main owner
Of this huge trash company
So when he makes those giant profits
Know those come from you and me
Republic needs to respect the members
Of our community
It was sad when the landfill blew up.
