Fear, fueled by the popular perception of radiation risks and the slow response to the fire by landfill operator Republic Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, has stoked conflict and distrust.

But that fear may be overblown and even misplaced, say experts on radiation who have reviewed radiation measurements at the sites and were interviewed by the Post-Dispatch.

The waste emits only tiny amounts of the gamma rays that can penetrate all but the most dense material, including the human body. Instead, almost all of the radiation released by the waste comes in the form of alpha particles, radiation that can’t pierce the skin and needs to get inside the body to do damage.

Asked to review measurements of radionuclides in the West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek gathered by regulators, Sasa Mutic, the director of radiation oncology physics at Washington University School of Medicine, indicated the risks from exposure are akin to driving a car.

“All of this would be well within what we give people for medical procedures,” Mutic said. “At this level, there are many other things that are much riskier.”