BRIDGETON, Mo. — Local people living near toxic waste are featured in a new HBO documentary called Atomic Homefront. Monday, Just Moms STL hosted a watch party at John Calvin Presbyterian Church of Bridgeton.
Robbin Dailey has seen the movie before.
"I got involved with the film strictly by accident," she said.
Dailey is in the film. She, her husband and her son moved to Bridgeton's Spanish Village subdivision in 1999. About a decade later, the family noticed some odors in the neighborhood. Dailey discovered she lives less than half a mile away from West Lake Landfill and its toxic nuclear waste. She says the odors become "much more nauseating" in 2011 and 2012.
"The odors from that landfill is just a symptom of that problem and the problem is the underground fire," she said.
Dailey joined Just Moms STL. The group advocates for removing the waste from the community's backyard. At a meeting for Community Advisory Group, which is an EPA sanctioned group, Dailey met the film crew.
"The HBO people, they were with us for a good four years and I thought well is this thing ever going to happen? And I just went on with my life, fighting the landfill, doing everything that I can, taking pictures ... and eventually we got told we're done with the film," she said.
Atomic Homefront also features communities near Cold Water Creek, which are contaminated by the same waste.
"This means so much because finally, finally, people are going to see the unbelievable obstacles that are put in front of ordinary Americans," Dailey said.
Earlier this month, the EPA announced plans to partially remove toxic waste from the Landfill. After Monday's screening, participants had the opportunity to write letters to the EPA about their concerns.
