The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates it will cost about $2.8 million to put out a landfill fire in St. Clair County that’s been burning since late November. That estimate may increase as the work continues.
The EPA this week approved a budget increase on the project that would raise how much the agency can pay a contractor to put out the fire by about $900,000. The new estimated external costs are now approved up to $1,529,316, with the total costs for the project to EPA now estimated at $2,806,345. The money will come from EPA’s regional funds for emergency response. The agency can later attempt to recover those costs from the responsible parties through enforcement actions. In the budget increase memo, the agency notes that “A delay in action or no action at this Site would increase the actual or potential threats to the public health and/or environment.”