A screenshot of the Google maps search result for “West Lake Landfill” contextualizes the site, both physically and culturally. The landfill is situated in a small industrial pocket in the Missouri River floodplain, with the closest residences within a half mile. An aerial view shows permanent bodies of water, all of which drains into the Missouri River, a drinking water source for nearby communities. The map does not indicate the significant levels of runoff ground water, in which alpha particles were discovered in August 2015, finally proving the community’s suspicions that contamination had moved offsite. Coldwater Creek, contaminated with radioactive waste from the nearby Saint Louis Airport Site (SLAPS, another site at which waste from the Manhattan project was dumped and left exposed to the elements), is also visible on the map, carrying radioactivity through backyards and parks to join the Missouri farther downstream. A wine glass icon indicates Boenker Hill Vineyard and Winery, perched atop a hill overlooking the landfill. The Boenker family farmed this site for generations, but disagreements among the descendants concerning the landfill and its contents have left the family embittered, estranged, and embroiled in lawsuits.
Perhaps more striking than the map, with its inclusions and exclusions, is the site photo appearing at the top left of the image. A user has altered the photo to include a stock image of an enthusiastic, grinning, blonde young man giving the thumbs up sign. A radiation trefoil is posted behind him. Below we see that West Lake Landfill has received an average Google review of two out of five stars. Reviews tend to be either one star or five stars, and range from sincere condolences and concern for residents’ health to sardonic take-downs of inedible nuked french fries. The photos and reviews reveal varying strategies for living with quotidian disaster, disclosing as much about the site as the map.
A screenshot of the Google maps search result for “West Lake Landfill” contextualizes the site, both physically and culturally. The landfill is situated in a small industrial pocket in the Missouri River floodplain, with the closest residences within a half mile. An aerial view shows permanent bodies of water, all of which drains into the Missouri River, a drinking water source for nearby communities. The map does not indicate the significant levels of runoff ground water, in which alpha particles were discovered in August 2015, finally proving the community’s suspicions that contamination had moved offsite. Coldwater Creek, contaminated with radioactive waste from the nearby Saint Louis Airport Site (SLAPS, another site at which waste from the Manhattan project was dumped and left exposed to the elements), is also visible on the map, carrying radioactivity through backyards and parks to join the Missouri farther downstream. A wine glass icon indicates Boenker Hill Vineyard and Winery, perched atop a hill overlooking the landfill. The Boenker family farmed this site for generations, but disagreements among the descendants concerning the landfill and its contents have left the family embittered, estranged, and embroiled in lawsuits.
Perhaps more striking than the map, with its inclusions and exclusions, is the site photo appearing at the top left of the image. A user has altered the photo to include a stock image of an enthusiastic, grinning, blonde young man giving the thumbs up sign. A radiation trefoil is posted behind him. Below we see that West Lake Landfill has received an average Google review of two out of five stars. Reviews tend to be either one star or five stars, and range from sincere condolences and concern for residents’ health to sardonic take-downs of inedible nuked french fries. The photos and reviews reveal varying strategies for living with quotidian disaster, disclosing as much about the site as the map.