Whoa! Missouri AG sues over Bill Gates' explosive radioactive landfill

It burns. It stinks. It explodes. It's radioactive. Thank you,
Republic Services. 

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster today sued Republic Services over its burning, exploding, radioactive landfill near St. Louis.

Microsoft co-founder and trash tycoon Bill Gates owns about 26 percent of the waste company, by far the largest shareholder.

Here's what the attorney general said today about the lawsuit:

Attorney General Chris Koster today filed a lawsuit alleging that Republic Services, Inc., owner of the Bridgeton Landfill in St. Louis County, has violated a number of Missouri’s environmental laws in its operation of the landfill. Since January 2013, an underground landfill fire at the Bridgeton facility has intensified, causing violations of Missouri’s air, hazardous waste, solid waste and clean water laws. 

"The nearby residents, schools, senior care facilities and a local hospital all have dealt with terrible, ongoing odor problems from the Bridgeton Landfill that have impacted their ability to go about normal activities," Koster said. 

"For St. Louisans who have not been directly exposed to the site, it is difficult to describe the effects this situation is having on local neighborhoods and businesses. While we have been assured by Republic Services that they have developed a remediation plan and are implementing that plan as expeditiously as possible, it is important that we ensure the corporation’s promises are binding and enforceable in a court of law," Koster added. 

Koster said that, in addition to addressing the odor problems and correcting the environmental violations, his lawsuit seeks to provide remedies to help local residents and businesses deal with the ongoing effects of the burning waste. The lawsuit also seeks to ensure that Republic, rather than taxpayers, pays for the costs of experts hired by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to perform ongoing, intensive environmental testing. Koster noted that DNR has committed to share the experts’ analysis and test results with the public as quickly as possible.

Republic abuses its workers as much as it abuses the environment. Read more at www.pickupthegarbage.com.

And go get 'em, Koster.