The Environmental Protection Agency is “well aware” of legislation approved by the U.S. Senate that would take away the agency’s jurisdiction over the radioactively contaminated West Lake Landfill.

But an agency official on Wednesday night said the EPA will press on with its process and propose a cleanup at the Bridgeton-area landfill by the end of the year.

“My job is to keep my team with their eye on the ball and focused on the job they have to do,” said Mary Peterson, the EPA’s regional Superfund director.

With the pending legislation in the background, the EPA signaled an interest in better communication with residents who live near the Bridgeton landfill. It hosted the first in a series of meetings that will explain the cleanup options as the agency nears a resolution. The EPA is considering capping the waste in place, or removing some or all of the waste.