A developer planning a $38.5 million housing and retail complex in O’Fallon, Missouri had a troubling surprise when workers grading the site last year uncovered an illegal dump filled with asbestos piping, industrial-sized barrels, used hypodermic needles, and other refuse. An environmental study of the site estimated that there are 34,000 tons of asbestos dumped at the south end of the site. The clean up is expected to cost about $2.2 million, and city officials have now approved creation of a community improvement district to reimburse the developer for the clean up. The proposed development on Interstate 70 between Highway K and Bryan Road, scheduled to be finished in 2012, would include 240 condominiums and about 15 retail stores. The developer emphasizes its practice of using “green” features in its construction, such as recycled materials and energy-efficient systems and appliances.
For the full story, go to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
