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At the time, many in the community regarded the move as a welcome sign of progress after decades of inaction toward remediating the site, and some even expressed tepid support for the proposal to remove about 67 percent of the site鈥檚 radioactivity by excavating to a depth of 16 feet.

But at a packed and emotionally charged meeting in Bridgeton on Tuesday night, scores of speakers provided vocal, and largely critical, feedback to high-ranking EPA officials in attendance, overwhelmingly pushing for full removal of the site鈥檚 World War II-era nuclear waste.

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That more extensive cleanup option, identified as 鈥淎lternative 7鈥� among the eight strategies under consideration by the EPA, is also the most expensive on the table, with an estimated cost of $455 million, compared to $236 million for the current proposal. The costs will be covered by a handful of public and private entities deemed liable for the cleanup.

Well over 600 people crowded into the meeting, and through shows of hands, nearly all of them supported speakers arguing for full excavation at the site.

Many community members pushed for more than just deeper excavation, lobbying for off-site disposal of any radioactivity, , and also for buyouts for residents of nearby homes. Many expressed concern about any remaining radioactivity posing future risks through factors ranging from groundwater contamination to seismic activity or underground fires, .

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鈥淧eople of our city, county and state deserve a full solution,鈥� said Harvey Ferdman, who chairs the West Lake Community Advisory Group, but spoke on his own behalf. 鈥淲e deserve Alternative 7.鈥�

鈥淎s much of this waste that can be removed needs to be removed,鈥� said Dawn Chapman, co-founder of Just Moms STL, a volunteer group focused on the site. 鈥淭here is no reason that Alternative 7 should not be used.鈥�

Albert Kelly, a senior adviser to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the chair of the agency鈥檚 Superfund Task Force, told attendees that the agency seeks 鈥渘ot just a Band-Aid solution but one we can stand behind.鈥�

鈥淎dministrator Pruitt made West Lake Landfill a top priority,鈥� he said, referencing West Lake鈥檚 inclusion on a list of the country鈥檚 21 Superfund sites of highest priority last year. 鈥淗e is serious about getting it cleaned up.鈥�

. Kelly said the agency wants to have a decision finalized by the end of August.

The full excavation outlined under Alternative 7 would take an estimated 14.6 years to complete. The agency says the current proposal would be completed in five years.