ST. LOUIS (AP) — Underground smoldering at a suburban St. Louis landfill is being watched closely amid concerns about its proximity to buried nuclear waste, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said Tuesday.

Koster was in St. Louis to announce an agreement with Republic Services, operators of the Bridgeton Landfill.

LISTEN: Chris Koster stops by the studio to talk about the Bridgeton landfill situation.
[audio_link url=”http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/5-14-koster.mp3″ name=”The Mark Reardon Show” artist=”Mark Reardon”]

*Owners of Bridgeton landfill had environmental troubles in the past

For several months, a strong odor has been emitting from the landfill that sits on 52 acres near Lambert Airport, a noxious smell that has raised health concerns in addition to its unpleasantness.

By Labor Day, plans call for a plastic cap over the landfill. If the work isn’t finished on time, Republic Services could face fines of up to $10,000 per day, according to an injunction filed…