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Recent e-Alerts 

 

12/22/09 Save the Date for Conservation Lobby Day


If you care about Missouri's environment and want to make a difference, we need your help! Join Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Missouri Sierra Club, Missouri Votes Conservation, and citizens from across the state at the capitol for Conservation Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. This is an important opportunity to share your passion for the environment with state legislators, and have a big impact on environmental policies affecting Missouri.

Each year, Missourians gather at the capitol to make their conservation values known - from environmentalists, scientists, students and business owners to hunters, anglers and farmers. On Lobby Day, advocate for one of these important issues:
  • Increase Energy Efficiency & Renewables: Improve Missouri's near-bottom energy efficiency ranking and expand usage of renewable energy.
  • Protect Water Quality: Ensure adequate monitoring and enforcement to protect Missouri's streams and lakes.
  • Maintain State Parks: Ensure funding for vitally-needed capital improvements to maintain Missouri's excellent parks.
  • Build Green with LEED Certification: Make buildings more energy efficient through green building standards.

Become part of the political process, and add your voice to others in Missouri's environmental community. By speaking out with a unified voice for environmental values, we can help shape the future of our state.

Conservation Lobby Day
Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 9 AM to 3:30 PM
Governor Office Building, Room 450
200 Madison Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

For more information and to register, please visit the Coalition website.

 

12/16/09 Happy Holidays from the Coalition


As the holidays draw near, we want to thank you for helping us preserve and protect Missouri's imperiled environment. Our forward momentum continues to build, despite the economic challenges we face. In 2009, with your support, the Coalition:
  • Participated in implementation of the Renewable Electricity Standard approved in Proposition C as it progressed through the Public Service Commission rulemaking process.
  • Facilitated the genesis of the Missouri Solar Energy Industry Association to promote accreditation, industry standards, and consumer education as the solar market grows.
  • Assisted individual citizens and organizations with water quality investigations and defense of our streams and wetlands.
  • Advanced water quality standards toward our goal of clean, safe, and healthy Missouri waters.
  • Mobilized Missourians to advocate for improved management to preserve the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
  • Elevated awareness of and solutions for decreasing our state's contribution to the pollution causing the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2010, our Clean Energy program will advocate for energy efficiency policies and the jobs that go with them to reduce our use of coal-based energy while boosting the local economy.

In 2010, our Public Lands program will expand support for the National Park Service to protect the Ozark National Scenic Riverways from unchecked road building, destruction, and overuse.

In 2010, we will continue to be the environment's full-time watchdog in Jefferson City - relentless in our focus on our Clean Water program. When the state makes determinations about water quality exemptions, rewrites the rules, considers permits, and sets water quality standards for our lakes and streams, we will challenge those who seek to weaken the rules and lower the standards and we will demand meaningful protections.

In 2010, we will expand our work to promote green infrastructure and the preservation of natural assets for the next generation.

And we will continue to fight to block construction of a proposed casino in the wetlands and farmland of the Confluence floodplain next to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in St. Louis.

To continue this work, we urgently need your help. Your year-end contribution will help us reach our $40,000 40th anniversary winter fundraising goal. You can also give your green friends the greenest gift of all - a gift membership to MCE. We'll send them a gift acknowledgment, ensure they receive the newsletter and even information, and other communications.

Your support will give us a strong start in 2010 and will help ensure that industry lobbyists - who are well represented in every agency decision-making process - do not roll back the progress we have made. Your tax-deductible gift allows us to ensure your voice - the voice of Missouri's environmental constituency - is heard. Please give whatever amount you can today.

Also, we have an exciting opportunity to earn money for the Coalition just by shopping for the holidays. Hundreds of websites like Target, Best Buy, and Expedia have agreed to donate a percentage of any purchase you make to our cause. All you have to do is download the Causes Toolbar and then it will track your online shopping and automatically donate a percentage to our cause. You don't have to do anything else - download the toolbar and you're done! Go to shopping.causes.com

As always, your privacy is our priority - your information will never be sold or swapped. Please let us know if you would like to also remain anonymous in our annual supporter recognition.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Logan Smith, Executive Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

 

12/2/09 Protecting Kiefer Creek in Castlewood State Park


Recreational Use Online Form Now Available


Kiefer Creek, a popular swimming area in Castlewood State Park, is known to be frequently contaminated with dangerously high levels of E. coli bacteria.

Levels of E. coli in Kiefer Creek have reached nearly 350 times legal limits for swimming set by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). E. coli is used as an indicator of water quality and high levels typically signal contamination with sewage that can harbor parasites, pathogens, and viruses as well.

DNR has classified Kiefer Creek in a tier of water quality that best matches the EPA's standard for a stream that has no known recreational uses. In other words this is a baseline standard, not a recreational use standard. However this EPA regulation has been stripped of a "single sample maximum" allowing for extremely high tests to fall within the regulatory parameters in Missouri through a complex averaging process called a geometric mean.

However, with your help we can prove that Kiefer Creek is used for recreation, and we can get the protections we deserve.

To classify Kiefer Creek for whole body contact recreation, we need your comments on how you, your family, and others you know have used the creek.

An online recreational use form is now available on the Coalition's website. There is also information on how to get more involved in our effort to restore Kiefer Creek.

The form can be accessed directly at http://tinyurl.com/recreationaluseform.

Pictures and/or videos of people in Kiefer Creek are also helpful to help make the case that the creek should be protected. Please send to nwyman@moenviron.org.

This form may also be used to describe use of any other unclassified stream in Missouri. See if your favorite streams are on the list! Click here for a list of streams left unsafe.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the above form and send it to anyone that is familiar with Kiefer Creek in Castlewood State Park. Thank you for helping make Kiefer Creek safe for everyone to enjoy!

 

11/4/09 County Council Approves Re-zoning for Destruction


Tonight, the St. Louis County Council voted in favor of rezoning the land adjacent to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area at the Confluence to make way for a massive casino development.

Thank you to everyone who picketed and attended the St. Louis County Council meeting tonight to oppose the casino rezoning proposal.

Your words were eloquent, precise, and well spoken. About 50 people testified and many others watched and witnessed. The room was filled.

As you could see from the choked out "ayes" of the council members, your words had impact, even as the majority disregarded them. Those ayes did not come easily and they were more aware of the magnitude of their decisions

The President of the Hazelwood school board echoed his earlier testimony about the need for jobs, "this is all about money." In contrast, one of the most powerful thoughts of the evening was from a school teacher who said that it is during tough times that we teach our children by what we do, and what we stand for in these circumstances. It was disappointing that our County Council could not resist the "pathetic seduction of easy money" as it was phrased; that they would not stand to save the last undeveloped floodplain in St. Louis County where two of the continent's mighty rivers meet.

The Council Members who voted for the casino rezoning were:
Michael O'Mara from North County Dist. 4
Hazel Erby from District 1
Steven Stenger from South County Dist. 6
Kathleen Burkett from District 2.

Colleen Wassinger, from Dist. 3, was absent.
Gregory Quinn, Dist. 7 and Barbara Fraser, Dist. 5 voted against the rezoning as they did last week.

This was the final decision at this stage. If the project moves forward (and in this economy that is a question), then it will need to obtain many permits for construction in wetlands, etc. (Visit the site today, the neighbors testified, and it is under water).

Much was said tonight about the vision of what the Confluence area is and what it could be if preserved and protected. We remain committed to that vision. It will, I hope, prevail before all is said and done.

I came back to the office tonight because you should know what happened tonight. I will be traveling tomorrow for our other work on Missouri's water quality, and will not be in the office.

Thank you for your membership, and your support.

 

11/2/09 Action Needed - Final Floodplain Vote Tuesday at 6


Council to Cast Final Vote Tuesday on Confluence Destruction


Last Tuesday night the St. Louis County Council voted in favor of a rezoning proposal that would make way for the destruction of nearly 400 acres in the Confluence Floodplain. They will cast final votes on the proposal Tuesday, November 3rd, at their 6 p.m. meeting in Clayton.

We need your support to show the St. Louis County Council that building a casino in a floodplain adjacent to a Conservation Area and in the midst of a Migratory Bird Flyway, is not something that will benefit our community or our environment. Please join us at the County Council meeting and urge the Council to take the time out to study the impacts of such a decision before committing our region to rezoning that will expand ecological destruction.

Who will pay for roads, interchanges, sewer extensions? And who will pay to maintain those systems after they are built? Where will the floodwater go? What will be the impact on surrounding properties? What will be the impact on community police forces? How will the migratory birds be impacted? There are too many unanswered questions to move ahead with this plan.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 3rd at 6 pm.
WHERE: County Administration Building 41 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105, 2nd Floor, Council Chambers

The proposed development would destroy farmland and raise the level of nearly 400 acres of the current floodplain by 30 feet to accommodate a large casino, 8,000 parking spaces, and a golf course. This will introduce hundreds of thousands of gallons of runoff polluted with motor oil, fertilizers, and pesticides to sensitive wetland habitat and to the rivers. It will damage the $25 million dollar investment that has been made to protect and restore the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. This area also serves as a migratory bird flyway and the proposed casino would have a major impact on the health and welfare of migratory birds like Bald Eagles.

The proposed Riverview Casino complex is an extremely environmentally damaging project, is opposed by the majority of residents who live near the project area, and is a precarious economic gamble because there is no guarantee that the casino, if built, would ever even open. It is the responsibility of St. Louis County and Missouri residents to make sure their local decision-makers say "no" to poorly-designed projects like this one.

HOW TO HELP
1. Join us at the meetings. Arrive by 5:30 to get a seat.
2. Speak at the meetings and give a letter to your council person.
3. If you can't make it out, give your council person a call. Mailing addresses, email information and phone numbers for county council people are available online. Attached is a possible letter you can use to customize and send out.

 

10/26/09 No Casino in the Floodplain


Save the Eagles, Help Us Oppose Wetland and Migratory Flyway Destruction


We need your support to show the St. Louis County Council that building a casino in a floodplain adjacent to a Conservation Area and in the midst of a Migratory Bird Flyway, is not something that will benefit our community or our environment. Please join us at the next two County Council meetings and help block the rezoning of the site where this ecologically destructive development has been proposed.

WHEN: Tuesday October 27th and next Tuesday November 3rd at 6pm.
WHERE: County Administration Building 41 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105, 2nd Floor, Council Chambers

The proposed development would raise the level of 367 acres the current floodplain by 30 Feet to accommodate a large casino, 8000 parking spaces, and a golf course. This will cause hundreds of thousands of gallons of runoff polluted with motor oil, fertilizers, and pesticides to inundate the adjacent sensitive wetland habitat that the Department of Conservation has spent $25 million dollars to protect and restore. This area also serves as a migratory bird flyway and the proposed casino would have a major impact on the health and welfare of migratory birds like Bald Eagles.

The proposed Riverview Casino complex is an extremely environmentally damaging project, is opposed by the majority of residents who live near the project area, and is a precarious economic gamble because there is no guarantee that the casino, if built, would ever even open. It is the responsibility of St. Louis County and Missouri residents to make sure their local decision-makers say "no" to poorly-designed projects like this one.

HOW TO HELP
1. Join us at the meetings. Arrive by 5:30 to get a seat.
2. Speak at the meetings and give a letter to your council person.
3. If you can't make it out, give your council person a call. Mailing addresses, email information and phone numbers for county council people are available online. Attached is a possible letter you can use to customize and send out.

SAMPLE LETTER

Your Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
E-mail

Date

Council Member ________
41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

Dear County Council Representative,

I would like to express my opposition to the proposed casino development adjacent to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. As a stakeholder in the St. Louis County community, it is very important to me that we protect what's left of the wetlands and floodplains in our local ecosystem.

By approving this development you will knowingly increase flooding and water pollution. You will be approving of the destruction of the sensitive ecosystem at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area where the Conservation Department has made a $25 million dollar investment to restore and protect the native habitat. The floodplains and wetlands near the proposed casino possess rare natural beauty and provide valuable migratory bird and wild animal habitat, in addition to their value for floodwater retention.

The area currently experiences frequent, seasonal flooding, and the Missouri Department of Conservation expects this to continue. If approved, this project would continue a pattern of ill-conceived endeavors in St. Louis County that exacerbate floods by increasing the amount of impenetrable surface in the floodplain and destroying wetlands.

The proposed Riverview Casino complex is an extremely environmentally damaging project, is opposed by the majority of residents who live near the project area and is a precarious economic gamble because there is no guarantee that the casino, if built, would ever even open. It is the responsibility of St. Louis County and Missouri residents to make sure their local decision-makers say "no" to poorly-designed projects like this one.

YOUR NAME

 

10/23/09 Promote Clean Energy in MO and Across the World!


Please join us in promoting clean energy answers to the issues facing Missourians and the world this week:

October 24 - 350 International Day of Climate Action


Missourians across the state will be joining in with people in thousands of other cities in over 170 countries this Saturday, October 24 to draw attention to the need for a dramatic international agreement to reduce carbon emissions and set us on a rapid path to 350. 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide -- measured in "parts per million" in our atmosphere.

In Missouri, 350 actions will take place all over the state. Here is a list of a few of the actions in the Show Me State (you can find actions all over the world at 350.org):

Action at the Arch will feature speeches from Mayor Francis Slay and representatives from the many interests that support science-based energy legislation, as well as music and opportunities to engage with local media from noon to 2pm at the Gateway Arch.

St. Louis 350 is organizing a prayer breakfast at 8am, as well as a parade to City Hall at 2pm which will culminate with a press conference at 3pm.

350 Kansas City will be holding a rally at Mill Creek Park from 2-3:30pm.

The STEW in Warrensburg is hosting an Earth walk, bike and mass transit "march" at the Johnson County Courthouse.

We hope you will join us to stand up for climate action NOW!

Renew Missouri Clean Energy Forums Continue


Learn how to save money on energy bills through efficiency updates, financial incentives for solar energy, and the energy efficiency policies Missouri legislators should create to lower your energy bills.

Renew Missouri hosts Community Forums on Clean Energy:

St. Louis - Tuesday, Oct. 27
Kirksville - Wednesday, Nov. 4
Columbia - Tuesday, Nov. 10
Dexter - Thursday, Nov. 12

The Forums are free and open to the public. Register online today to guarantee a seat.

Please join us in continuing to work for a clean energy future.

 

10/19/09 Environmental Summit and Riverview Casino Update


Missouri Votes Conservation's 8th Annual Environmental Summit 2009


Join Missouri Votes Conservation Education Fund and leaders from Missouri's diverse environmental and conservation communities at the 8th Annual Environmental Summit on November 7, 2009 at William Woods University in Fulton. The Summit is an opportunity to hear from leaders in key issue areas about specific environmental legislation they plan to pursue in the 2010 General Assembly. By learning the specifics of this proposed legislation, you and your organization can play a key role in improving environmental policies in Missouri.

For more information please visit www.movotesconservation.org or call 314-725-9494.

Letter-to-the-Editor about E. Coli at Lake of the Ozarks: "Missing the Point (Source)"


The following letter, written by Caroline Ishida of MCE and Liz Forrestal of MVC, was published in the Springfield News-Leader and Kansas City Star over the past 2 weeks. It highlights the water quality issues that the E. coli controversy at the Lake of the Ozarks brings to light and the need for a well-funded, protective water program in Missouri:

"The escalating controversy over elevated levels of the bacterium E. coli in the Lake of the Ozarks - which led to the governor suspending the director of the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week - distracts from a much larger problem: the insufficient monitoring and protection of ALL Missouri waters.

"Along with many others, we are dismayed to learn of the serious oversight and bungling by mid-level officials in both DNR and Governor Jay Nixon's office. Moreover, we completely agree that the lake's beaches should have been closed to protect public health. But at the root of the problem is that funding for DNR's water quality monitoring and enforcement program is completely insufficient to protect our waters. Missouri Coalition for the Environment has commented on hundreds of pollution discharge permits in the state over the past few years, and some glaring themes have become obvious about the DNR that director Mark Templeton inherited: different DNR regions set different limits for dischargers, oftentimes the pollution limits in permits are insufficient to protect water quality, and there is inadequate DNR enforcement of permit limits, renewals, and water quality violations, in large part due to lack of funding.

"Our organizations encourage Governor Nixon to follow-through on the cleanup effort at the Lake of Ozarks, but as a part of a larger cleanup of the water program at DNR-without resolving some of the systemic problems, a piecemeal solution that only focuses on the lake is not going to protect Missouri citizens or give them confidence that their state officials have public and environmental health at the center of their agendas."

Riverview Casino Opposition Update!


Our opposition to the Riverview Casino Project continues! Thanks to all of you who have called or written to your County Council Representatives to let them know why you oppose the casino project-- please keep that contact going over the next few weeks so the Council continues to realize how strong the public opposition to this project is.

This Tuesday, October 20, 2009, there will be another St. Louis County Council meeting during which the Council will solicit public comment about the casino project and the proposed zoning change required to make that project happen. There will also be County Council meetings with the opportunity for public comment on October 27 and November 3, 2009. The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the St. Louis County Council Chamber, Administration Building, 41 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105.

If you are available to attend one of the meetings on either October 20, 27, or November 3 (or can attend more than one), and want to speak to the Council during the public comment period regarding your opposition to this environmentally destructive proposal, please contact MCE at (314) 727-0600 or reply to me by email.

 

10/12/09 Help Us Oppose the Riverview Casino Project!


The Riverview Casino project is a proposed development on 376.8 acres of the Confluence floodplain in North Saint Louis County -- it is planned to include a casino, hotel, restaurants, retail shops, a golf course, and an 8,000 car parking lot. The proposed project area is just south of Columbia Bottom Conservation Area along the Mississippi River in some of the most beautiful natural area in St. Louis County. The site is a winter home to eagles and on the flight path for migratory birds. The project's developer, North County LLC, needs the project area's zoning to be changed to commercial before they can begin to build. In September, the St. Louis County Planning & Zoning Commission approved the change in zoning from agricultural to commercial. Tomorrow, October 13, 2009, their recommendation goes to the St. Louis County Council for consideration of the zoning change.

Please help us in opposing the Riverview Casino complex. Come early and get your "CasiNO" buttons and join our silent protest tomorrow at the St. Louis County Council meeting, which will be held at the St. Louis County Council Chamber, Administration Building, 41 S. Central Avenue. Clayton, MO 63105. The County Council meeting will start at 6:00 pm, Tuesday, October 13, 2009 -- please come out and join us to show your opposition to this ill-conceived project. If you cannot attend the October 13 meeting, we will keep you informed of other meetings in the future.

Additionally, the County Council has a few weeks to consider whether or not to approve this zoning change, so please contact your County Council Representative over the next week to let them know you oppose the Riverview Casino project because it will destroy valuable habitat area for migratory birds and other species, cause increased flooding in St. Louis County, and because we do not need yet another casino in the area. Click here for a list of Council members and their districts to determine who your Council Representative is (located on the right side of the County Council website). For more information on the opposition to the casino, click here.

Victory for St. Johns/New Madrid Floodway!


This past July, Senator Bond (R-MO) proposed amendments to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill that would have removed funding designated to the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct restoration work in the St. Johns Bayou/New Madrid floodway. Luckily, our elected officials heard our concerns and these harmful provisions were not included. Thanks to the phone calls, emails, and letters from citizens and groups concerned about the Bond riders, the money allocated to the Corps to restore the floodway area and remove damaging infrastructure remains intact. Our hard work has helped to save rare wildlife habitat and prevent flooding for communities along the Mississippi River in Illinois and Missouri!

 

10/6/09 Upcoming Events: Clean Energy and Climate Action in Missouri


Take a minute to catch up on the latest news and events on clean energy in Missouri.

Community Forums on Clean Energy: Coming to a Town Near You


Learn how to save money on energy bills through efficiency updates, financial incentives for solar energy, and the energy efficiency policies Missouri legislators should create to lower your energy bills.

Renew Missouri is hosting six Community Forums on Clean Energy:

Kansas City - Tuesday, Oct. 13
Springfield - Wednesday, Oct. 21
St. Louis - Tuesday, Oct. 27
Kirksville - Wednesday, Nov. 4
Columbia - Tuesday, Nov. 10
Dexter - Thursday, Nov. 12

The Forums are free and open to the public. Register online today to guarantee a seat.

International Day of Climate Action


October 24, 2009 will be historic -- a day when the world will come together to take a stand for our future to tell their governments to take strong action on climate change. If you care about climate change, this is the day to make your voice heard. Join 350.org's international day of climate action to reduce atmospheric carbon below 350 parts per million with local events in Missouri:
  • Action at the Arch - Arch Grounds, St. Louis, MO - Noon - Join environmental organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens as we gather at the Gateway Arch to call for real action on climate issues. The first 300 people to register will receive a free "stop global warming" t-shirt!
  • Warrensburg Earthwalk - Johnson County Courthouse, Warrensburg, MO - 11am
  • 350KC Rally - Mill Creek Park, Kansas City, MO - 2pm

Missouri Power Shift Summit


Join youth from across Missouri for workshops, speakers, skills trainings, concerts, a green job fair, and political action as we show our legislators that we are ready for a Power Shift! Come to the Missouri Power Shift conference in St. Louis from October 16-18.

Help us tell the story of Missouri. From the 100% wind energy city of Rockport to the transition of Columbia's coal-fired power plant to biomass. What's your story? Why do you care about clean energy, green jobs, and a socially just community? Missouri Power Shift will wake up our federal officials on the power of a unified, motivated voice fighting for a bold, clean, and just energy future.

To register or for more summit info, check out: missouri.powershift09.org

Your involvment is critical. We hope to see you at these fun and informative events.

 

10/1/09 Catch a Movie, Take a Stand


There are a lot of great environmental events going on this week in the St. Louis region. You may know about the Farm Aid concert and all the local food events going on around that, but here are some other items that you might have missed and that we hope you can attend:

No Impact Man Premiere


Come catch the St. Louis Premiere of the film "No Impact Man" opening this Friday, Oct. 2, at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

The new film follows writer Colin Beavan who began the No Impact Project when, as a newly self-proclaimed environmentalist, he could no longer avoid pointing the finger at himself. He began an adventure (and what turned out to be a popular and controversial blog) when he took a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. See the online announcement and view the trailer for No Impact Man for more information!

At the 6:45PM showings on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 and 3, the film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with Food & Water Watch organizers. No Impact Man will run at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema Oct. 2-8.

A Farmer/Urban Connection


Please join Farm Aid, the Missouri Rural Crisis Center and other local, regional and national family farm organizations as they discuss challenges and opportunities in family farm agriculture.

Learn about how you can use your voice to push for a vibrant family farm-centered food system -- one that builds thriving economies, strong communities and resilient ecosystems to nourish us for generations to come.

This is a free event open to the farmers, non-farmers, and all others interested in supporting family farmers.

For more information, contact the Missouri Rural Crisis Center at 573-449-1336 or RSVP for the event online.

When: Saturday, October 3rd from 5-6:30PM
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 7200 Delmar Blvd, St Louis, MO 63130

Public Meeting on Ameren Coal Waste Landfill


There is a public meeting scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, at 4 pm, at Pilgims United Church of Christ, in Labadie at the corner of 3rd and Academy, to address the proposed Ameren UE landfill in the Labadie Bottoms between Labadie and St. Albans.

Citizens Meeting Concerning A Coal Combustion Waste Landfill Proposed By Ameren On 400 Acres In the Bottoms Between Labadie & St. Albans

WHO: Calling all Concerned Citizens
WHAT: To talk about Ameren's Utility Waste Landfill Proposal with Franklin Co. Presiding Commissioner, Ed Hillhouse and fellow citizens.
WHEN: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Corner of 3rd & Academy, Labadie, MO (look for signs)

The proposed 400-acre landfill is part of the 1147 acres of Missouri River bottomland/farmland recently purchased by Ameren for expansion purposes. CCW (coal combustion waste) is now managed as solid waste but the EPA is currently in the process of considering its regulation as hazardous waste. If constructed, this landfill will impact our local communities and those downstream from us in St. Louis and St. Charles.

Ask Corps to Remove West Lake Nuke Wastes



The FUSRAP Oversight Committee will hold a meeting at the Jana Elementary School, 405 Jana Drive, North off Patterson Road, in Florissant on October 7, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, or FUSRAP, is an environmental remediation program. It's a nationwide effort to remediate properties impacted by nuclear contamination from contract work supporting the Manhattan Project in the 1940s and 50s. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources provides oversight at these sites and provides assistance to the US Army Corps of Engineers, as the primary cleanup agency.

This meeting will consist of a presentation by the Corps regarding current issues at the project and will include time for discussion and questions. Participation with the committee and meetings is an important part of this project.

Please ask the Corps to help advocate for removing the Manhattan project radioactive wastes that are in Earth City near Bridgeton at the West Lake Landfill site in the Missouri River floodplain and upstream from north county's drinking water intakes. Currently, the EPA has jurisdiction over the West Lake site and they have opted for leaving the wastes on site. We are advocating for West Lake to be returned to the jurisdiction of the Corps.

The meeting is open to the public and all visitors will be welcome.

 

9/17/09 40th Anniversary Party & Call for Volunteers


40th Anniversary Cocktails & Music


Please join us for an evening to benefit the Missouri Coalition for the Environment at a get-together to celebrate our 40th Anniversary.

Wednesday, September 23, 6:30-10:30pm
At Erney's 32, 4200 Manchester Ave. in the Historic Grove District, St. Louis, MO

Live Music by Soulard Blues Band | Silent Auction | Complimentary Appetizers | Cash Bar | $30 Suggested Donation
Complimentary Valet Parking Available
Register for tickets online or RSVP at 314-727-0600 to pay at the door

Call For Volunteers


See below for a fun and educational Missouri Coalition for the Environment volunteer opportunity. It's our biggest event of the year and we need your help!

GREEN HOMES FESTIVAL
Brought you by: Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Center & the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

DATES AND TIMES
Saturday, September 26, 2009
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
3617 Grandel Square (Midtown St. Louis)

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!
On Saturday, September 26, 2009 Grandel Square (in beautiful Grand Center) will become an exciting Green Street Promenade of exhibitors, green vendors, and children's activities. And we need your help!

Volunteers are needed to assist with a number of easy and fun activities such as:
  • painting an environmental mural on a Metro bus
  • workshop coordination
  • children's activities
  • raffle sales
  • logistical details and more!
In exchange for a 4-hour shift, volunteers will receive
  • complimentary parking
  • a sustainably-made t-shirt
  • a voucher for one free workshop admission
  • beverages throughout the day
  • $5 in food vouchers redeemable at the festival's food court
  • an invitation to the follow-up thank you party at Schlafly Bottleworks!
WHAT IS THE GREEN HOMES FESTIVAL?
More than 70 exhibitors, art activities and street entertainment celebrate sustainable living while offering fun for the entire family. Highlights of the festival include:
  • Twenty-eight workshops with regional experts in sustainable homebuilding, home and vehicle efficiency, solar and wind energy, keeping bees and chickens, urban farming, composting and more.
  • Painting a Metro bus with artist Sarah Linquist, Master Scenic Painter at The Muny in Forest Park.
  • The Sustainable Stuff Green Craft Show & Sale featuring fashions, home décor, toys and gifts made by area artisans.
  • A Solar Car Derby where children build a sun-powered miniature roadster to race at 1 and 3 PM.
  • Local, healthy and sustainably-produced treats served in a shaded food court.
HOW DO I SIGN UP? Please fill out this PDF and either fax, e-mail, or mail to Lauren Duchscher, Volunteer Coordinator. You may also call Lauren and she will sign you up over the phone.
Fax: 314-577-0298
E-mail: lauren.duchscher @ gmail.com
Phone: Lauren at (314) 607-2624 or Rachel at (314) 210-7764

VOLUNTEER TRAINING
All volunteers are required to participate in one of two training sessions prior to the event to get downloaded on the details. Volunteers can choose from training sessions on Thursday, September 17 from 6:30-8 PM and Saturday, September 19 from 3:30-5 PM. If one of those dates won't work for you, we will set up an individual training date and time. Training will be held at the EarthWays Center, 3617 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO, 63108.

We hope you'll join us!

 

9/8/09 You have a second chance to save our rivers! Deadline extended!


Save the Current & Jacks Fork Rivers Again!


The period for public comment is not over.

In case you missed getting your comments in by the July 31 deadline, it is now extended because of technical problems with the National Park Service website back in July. Many who tried to submit comments on the General Management Plan Alternatives for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers) were unable to do so online.

Whether you got caught in the technical snafus or were just on vacation and missed the first deadline, now's your chance to help save the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers again.

Consider this: in 2007, Yellowstone National Park had an average of 1.5 visitors per acre. That same year, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was visited by an average of 18 people per acre. Our own Ozark Riverways? 21 visitors per acre. We have one heavily used park! Additionally, this use is concentrated over 134 miles of river, often less than 50 yards wide. Statistics like these show that it is even more imperative that we protect our largest National Park so that it can continue to exist in a healthy, clean state for the many who seek to enjoy it.

The National Park Service is incorrectly polarizing the positions of Americans that have commented on the General Management Plan Alternatives for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways like this:

those who want to engage in recreational activities without any restrictions; and

those who think the National Park Service has done too little to control them.

What it has yet to do is aim to achieve its mission at the Riverways as it was created by Congress:

(to) preserve and protect in an unimpaired condition the unique scenic and natural values, processes, and unspoiled settings derived from the clean, free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork rivers and the springs and caves and their karst origins; (and)

(to) provide for uses and enjoyment of the outdoor recreational opportunities consistent with the preservation of the natural riverways resources.

An "anything goes" policy will guarantee damage to the rivers. Their clear waters will grow muddy, their banks will be stripped of vegetation, and their fish and wildlife populations will decline. It is a loss that anyone who has ever seen these rivers cannot abide. And yet, we Missourians know and love these rivers and we want to be able to access them for our float trips, fishing adventures, family camp outs, and activities that we have woven into our family and community traditions. Ultimately, we want the Riverways to be enjoyed intact and healthy by our grandchildren and their grandchildren. This can only happen if we stop the damage, and restore and preserve the Riverways.

Comments are due September 11th. It is critically important that you share your values and vision for Missouri's largest and most natural National Park. You can access our comments and those of other conservationists at our website. Some of the key points to stress in the development of the new General Management Plan are these:
  • Keep ATV's and motorized vehicles only on legal county roads and enforce laws that achieve that.
  • Create a detailed plan to eliminate unauthorized roads and trails that reach the water's edge because they introduce additional vehicles, excessive runoff and pollution, weaken riverbanks, destroy wildlife habitat, and degrade scenic vistas.
  • Pursue a wilderness designation for the Natural Area at Big Springs so that future Americans can enjoy native Ozark wilderness.
  • Explore solutions to reduce congestion on the Riverways to maximize enjoyment of the natural features and native wildlife of the rivers.
  • Locate horse trails on higher ground so their use does not destabilize banks, increase erosion, and damage riparian habitat. Minimize horse trail river crossings to reduce damage caused at these locations.
  • Establish a system for limiting the size and frequency of horse trail parties to reasonable numbers at one time that do not strain capacity of the natural systems and cause excessive damage to banks, soils, vegetation, habitat, and water quality.
  • Monitor and minimize human waste pollution by improving signage, educating users about toilet use in the Riverways, and insuring adequate, safe, and clean facilities designed to have minimal impact on the scenery and ecology in the Riverways.
  • Expand and improve partnerships with residents and organizations to promote the natural, scientific, and cultural heritage of the Riverways.

The new General Management Plan can and must do better than its predecessor. It must include measures to more strictly enforce existing park policies and regulations. Additionally, the General Management Plan must include the implementation and enforcement of new measures to address new challenges including excess legal and illegal river access points, and increasing park congestion. In order to accomplish its goals, the National Park Service must provide a General Management Plan that includes detailed solutions to inadequate enforcement and insufficient regulations.

Please share your experiences - good and bad - on the Riverways to help the Park Service understand why you feel the way you do.

Please forward this to 5 or more river-loving, swimming, fishing, floating, caving, mushroom-hunting, hiking, bird-watching, researching, camping, hunting friends. Together we can fulfill the promise of preservation for future generations while continuing to bring the joys of today's Riverways to the nation.

Background:
The Current River and its tributary the Jacks Fork, are among the finest free-flowing river resources in the nation. They are legendary for their constant flow of clear, cool waters. Fed by more than 350 springs, including the 278 million-gallon-per-day Big Spring which is one of the largest springs in North America, and the dazzling Blue Spring, the 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers flow through beautiful Ozark country. The land and rivers offer memorable recreation experiences in a landscape of numerous caves and vibrant wildlife. Because of its amazing character, the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers were designated in 1964 by Congress as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and are part of America's National Park System. These rivers and their valleys are not surpassed in America for quality, richness, and beauty.

Send your comments to:
Superintendent
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
P.O. Box 490
Van Buren, MO 63965

On line at www.nps.gov/ozar (follow links to General Management Plan) or http://www.nps.gov/ozar/parkmgmt/general-management-plan-information.htm

You may send your comments in writing but electronic submissions are preferred.

Please copy your comments to me:
klogansmith@moenviron.org
6267 Delmar Blvd. Ste. 2E
St. Louis, MO 63130

and to our state Senators:

Senator Kit Bond
Email here: http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm

St. Louis Office
7700 Bonhomme, #615
St. Louis, MO 63105
(314) 725-4484

Senator Kit Bond
Springfield Office
300 S. Jefferson, Suite 401
Springfield, MO 65806
(417) 864-8258

Senator Claire McCaskill
Springfield Office
324 Park Central West Suite 101
Springfield, MO 65806
Email here: http://mccaskill.senate.gov/contact/
Phone 417-868-8745
Fax 417-831-1349

St. Louis Office
5850 A Delmar Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63112
Phone:314-367-1364
Fax: 314-361-8649

Your comments can make a difference, and you still have until September 11th to submit input to the National Park Service. Their current plan is outlined in the "Newsletter"--the latest document in an extended park planning exercise that provides an opportunity for all of us to voice support for the important resources of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. If you have not received this newsletter, please call the National Park Service office in Van Buren at (573) 323-4236 or write to them at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, 404 Watercress Drive, Van Buren, MO 63965 and request a copy.

 

9/2/09 Mountaintop Removal Mining & Nationwide Permit 21


Let the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Know How You Feel About Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining in Appalachia!


In the July 15, 2009 Federal Register, the Army Corps of Engineers published a proposal to modify Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP 21), the permit that currently covers mountaintop removal coal mining activities in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Corps' proposal would remove Bush Administration-era regulations that fast-track the permitting process that coal mining companies currently undergo. The new proposal would put in place a more individualized permitting system that would provide for greater oversight and public input.

While the Corps' proposed suspension of NWP 21 is a step in the right direction, please ask the Corps and the Obama administration to go a step further and permanently end mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. It destroys the area's watersheds and ecology and does irreparable damage to the region's communities. The Corps has recently extended their deadline for public comments on this proposal to September 14, 2009. Please take this opportunity to tell the Corps that you support their proposal to modify/suspend this damaging rule, but that they must do more now and in the future to put an end to mountaintop removal mining.

Your comments on this important issue can be submitted to the Corps through the Federal eRulemaking Portal by clicking here, OR by mail to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW- CO (Attn: Ms. Desiree Hann), 441 G. Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20314-1000.

Any comments on the proposal should reference docket number COE-2009-0032.

Thank you for taking the time to further the fight against mountaintop removal coal mining!

 

8/28/09 Wind Energy Soars and Other Updates...


Take a minute to catch up on the latest news and events on clean energy in Missouri.

Green Homes Festival


Saturday, September 26. St. Louis.

Visit this exciting Festival of exhibitors, green vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and kid's activities. Come paint a Metro Bus and build and race a solar car. Learn about efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. Festival admission and parking is free. Visit www.GreenHomesSTL.org or email enoble @ moenviron.org to volunteer or to be an exhibitor or sponsor.

Community Forums: Clean Energy Choices that Work


October - November, Across Missouri

Attend Renew Missouri's Community Forums on Clean Energy. Learn ways to cut energy bills through easy efficiency updates, discover solar electricity and new incentives that make it more affordable, and understand state policies to improve Missouri's rank of 45th in efficiency. Learn more.

Clean Energy News: Missouri Wind Energy Capacity Soars



A national survey of wind energy says Missouri added the third highest amount of wind farm power in the nation during the second quarter of 2009, according to a Forbes article. The 90% increase in wind capacity was the largest jump among any state the nation. Read more.

Renewable Energy Jumps to 11% of US Energy Production - Now Provides more Energy than Nuclear Power



According to the latest issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, production of renewable energy for the first third of 2009 was 6% higher compared to the same time period in 2008.

In April 2009 alone, renewable energy sources accounted for 11% of domestic energy production and exceeded the amount contributed by nuclear power: "Monthly Energy Review" - July 28, 2009.

Global Warming Could Mean More Heat Waves, More Flooding, and Reduced Crop Yields in Missouri



If the United States does not significantly curb heat-trapping emissions, global warming will seriously harm Missouri's climate and economy, according to a new peer-reviewed report released in July by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The report also found that a combination of clean energy policies -- such as those currently under consideration by the U.S. Senate -- would help blunt the extent and severity of global warming in Missouri and nationally.

Read the press release.
Read the report: "Confronting Climate Change in Missouri"

The Positive Economics of Climate Change Policies



A new report from the nonprofit and independent American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) suggests that most studies that evaluate so-called cap-and-trade policies either ignore or greatly understate the potential advances in energy efficiency, the largest and most cost-effective form of greenhouse gas mitigation.

The study includes a review of the recent assessments of the H.R. 2454 climate change legislation, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill, which is now under consideration by the U.S. Senate, with action likely this fall. ACEEE's report find that U.S. consumers and businesses could see their energy bills cut in half by 2050. Read more.

 

7/17/09 Meeting Reminder- Save the Rivers!


Save the Current & Jacks Fork Rivers Again!


Special thanks to those of you who attended the public meetings in June in Van Buren, Eminence, Salem, Columbia, and St. Louis. These meetings to discuss the future of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways were well-attended; the National Park Service compiled some useful comments.

However, the period for public comment is not over.

There are times when the Coalition can act effectively on your behalf. However, this is a time when direct citizen participation is needed.

The people of Missouri lead the effort to designate and protect these outstanding Ozark Riverways. Now, 45 years later, the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers need our help and attention again.

Consider this. In 2007, Yellowsone National Park had an average of 1.5 visitors per acre. That same year, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was visited by an average of 18 people per acre. Our own Ozark Riverways? 21 visitors per acre. We have one heavily used park! Additionally, this use is concentrated over 134 miles of river, often less than 50 yards wide. Statistics like these show that it is even more imperative that we protect our largest National Park so that it can continue to exist in a healthy, clean state for the many who seek to enjoy it.

Right now, the Ozark Riverways are suffering from too many problems: overdeveloped vehicle access sites that increase water pollution and devastate natural wildlife, ineffective oversight of conservation easements by the Park Service, excessive equestrian use on sensitive riverbanks and in-stream that is contributing to dangerous water contamination and soil erosion, and illegal motorized abuse that has compromised the safety and environmental quality of the lands and waters. These are not violations we can continue to allow!

What solutions should you propose to the National Park Service?
  1. Permanently close all unofficial and extraneous river access roads. This policy would help restore and maintain important riparian habitat and help keep the rivers clean.
  2. Ban the operation of ATVs and dirt bikes in the Riverways--except on the legally-designated state and county roads within the boundaries of the park.
  3. Improve management of horse trail riding on Riverways' lands so that the Rivers' health comes first.
  4. Control the frequency and number of non-motorized watercraft (canoes, rafts, tubes, etc.) on the rivers to alleviate crowding caused by large clusters of these watercraft closely spaced in time.
  5. Designate the Big Spring Natural Area as a wilderness region. The Big Spring Natural Area lies very near the legendary Big Spring and is the backcountry portion of the old Big Spring State Park that has been protected since the 1920's. Preserving this example of native Missouri untouched for future generations is an easy decision and all conservationists should support it.

Your comments can make a difference, and you still have until July 31 to submit input to the National Park Service. Their current plan is outlined in the "Newsletter"--the latest document in an extended park planning exercise that provides an opportunity for all of us to voice support for the important resources of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. If you have not received this newsletter, please call the National Park Service office in Van Buren at (573) 323-4236 or write to them at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, 404 Watercress Drive, Van Buren, MO 63965 and request a copy.

Please review the plan and submit your comments. Encourage the National Park Service to enact stricter standards, and hold it accountable for upholding those standards. You may send your comments in writing but electronic submissions are preferred.

The new General Management Plan must put the health of the rivers first, because human populations will always put pressure on resources like the Riverways. Please do send us your stories - good and bad - of experiences at the Riverways. Together we can protect Missouri's natural treasures!

 

7/2/09 2009 Missouri on Cusp of Clean Energy Surge?


We hope you are enjoying the sunshine this summer. We're excited to update you about the rapid progress around Clean Energy issues throughout Missouri. Missouri is on the cusp of transition to clean energy -- thanks for taking a few minutes to get updated on the latest.

Missouri Solar Industry Forming Trade Association


In June, solar installers from across the state came together to form an industry trade association. MOSEIA (Missouri Solar Energy Industry Association) is forming in large part as a result of Proposition C, which Missouri voters passed last November. Proposition C mandates 15% of the electricity produced by Missouri investor owned utilities (IOUs) comes from renewable sources by 2021, 2% of which must come from solar photovoltaics.

Prop C is expected to generate as much as 150 megawatts of new solar development in Missouri, enough energy to power 15,000 homes. Proposition C also includes a solar rebate requirement that will refund $2.00 per installed watt (roughly 20% of an installed system's price) for Missourians who install on their homes or businesses in investor owned utility territory.

Coupled with new federal tax incentives, electricity generating solar photovoltaics are more affordable than ever in Missouri, and the solar industry is expected to grow quickly in 2010. For more information, visit www.SEIA.org. For questions about the new Missouri chapter in formation, contact PJ at PJ@RenewMO.org or enoble@moenviron.org.

Clean Energy Forums to happen this Fall around Missouri


The Missouri Coalition for the Environment and Renew Missouri will be holding Clean Energy Forums across Missouri this fall to educate the public and elected officials about "best-practices" clean energy and energy efficiency policy. Also, come learn easy ways to save money on your energy bill, find out more about solar power, and the various incentives that make that may make the upcoming months a ripe time for you to do both. Email PJ@RenewMO.org or enoble@moenviron.org if you'd like to help set up a Clean Energy Forum in your area. Stay tuned for more details.

Helping Prop C Deliver the Clean Energy Promise


After Prop C passed on November 4, 2009, the Public Service Commission is charged with developing the "rules" governing its implementation. We are monitoring this 12-month Prop C rule-making process to ensure the PSC enacts the most thorough, comprehensive, rules possible.

As predicted, the easy to understand, one-page Proposition C is becoming complicated as it is being integrated within complex utility rate making regulation. Therefore, Renew Missouri, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and Great Rivers Environmental Law Center have been monitoring the implementation to ensure that utility lobbyists do not pressure the PSC into diluting the RES.

The PSC staff has held two public workshops this spring, on March 9th and April 13th. Affected utilities, renewable energy advocates, the Office of Public Counsel, and large industrial users of electricity are all keeping a close eye on the process and providing input to the PSC about how the initiative should be implemented.

In several weeks, the PSC will draft rules that are open to public comment. After a comment period, the PSC will then release the final rule.

If you would like to stay informed of the process via the PSC list-serve, contact Mike Taylor of the PSC at Michael.Taylor@psc.mo.gov.

Ameren UE Purchases 102 MW of Wind


On June 18, Ameren UE announced its first-ever investment in wind energy. AmerenUE has signed an agreement to purchase 102 megawatts (MW) of wind power from phase II of Horizon Wind Energy's Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm in Iowa. That's enough to power 26,000 households. This farm is fully operational with both phases having a total capacity of more than 300 megawatts (MW). Read more.

Solar Certification Deadline


NABCEP (North America Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) is the only national organization that certifies solar installers. The next NABCEP solar thermal and solar photovoltaic installer certification exams will be administered on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Application deadline for this test is Friday, July 17th. Applications received after the July 17th deadline will be considered for the March 2010 exam. Learn More.

2008 Green Homes volunteers


Green Homes Festival - Saturday, September 26 - Grandel Square, St. Louis.

Visit this exciting Green Street Promenade of exhibitors, green vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and kid's activities. Come paint a Metro Bus and build and race a solar car. Learn about efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. Festival admission and parking is free. Visit www.GreenHomesSTL.org or email enoble@moenviron.org to learn more, to volunteer, or to join us as an exhibitor or sponsor.

6/25/09 Save the Current & Jacks Fork Rivers Again!


The National Park Service is hosting only two more meetings - in Columbia today and in St. Louis on Friday - on their Draft General Management Plan for Current and Jacks Fork Rivers that are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southern Missouri. You can help shape the plan so that it saves these rivers. Your first opportunity is at these public meetings (they are Open House style - so drop in anytime between 3:30-7):

Thursday, June 25, 3:30-7PM
Courtyard by Marriott
3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201

Friday, June 26, 3:30-7PM
Crowne Plaza Hotel
7750 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105

There are times when the Coalition can act effectively on your behalf. However, this is a time when direct citizen participation is needed.

The Current River and its tributary the Jacks Fork, are among the finest free-flowing river resources in the nation. They are legendary for their constant flow of clear, cool waters. Fed by more than 350 springs, including the 278 million-gallon-per-day Big Spring which is one of the largest springs in North America, and the dazzling Blue Spring, the 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers flow through beautiful Ozark country. The land and rivers offer memorable recreation experiences in a landscape of numerous caves and vibrant wildlife. Because of its amazing character, the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers were designated in 1964 by Congress as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and are part of America's National Park System. These rivers and their valleys are not surpassed in America for quality, richness, and beauty.

The people of Missouri lead the effort to designate and protect these outstanding rivers. Now, 45 years later, the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers need our help and attention again. All is not well, but we have an opportunity to make a positive difference and ensure the health of the rivers 45 years from now.

Attend the meeting if you can. Ask questions. Share your experiences and views of the river. What do you want the rivers to be in 25 years?

Whether you can make a meeting or not, plan on getting your comments in by July 31.

To learn more, you can also view a new Missouri Parks Association and Friends of Ozark Riverways documentary entitled Why We Must Save the Current River, Again. For the first time ever, it tells the story of the Riverways from the conservationist point of view. It reminds us all of those who went before and why they saved the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and why we must follow their example, and save the rivers, again.

If you cannot attend one of the National Park Service public meetings, please review the plan and submit your comments in support of better management practices including implementation of appropriate usage standards. Every comment counts, so please make yours. You may also submit comments in writing and, most recommended, electronically.

The new General Management Plan needs to put the health of the rivers first, because human populations will always put pressure on resources like the Riverways.

Special thanks to those of you who have attended the meetings in Van Buren, Eminence, and Salem this week.

Please do send us your stories - good and bad - of experiences at the Riverways.

You will also receive an update on the plan in July before the final comment deadline.

 

6/8/09 Save the Current River - Again!


There are times when we are called to stand for what, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. This is one of those times. You have an opportunity to be a important voice in a series of public meetings the National Park Service is hosting.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways (The Riverways) is Missouri's most important piece of public land. Over 40 years ago, the federal government designated the Current and Jack Fork Rivers as the first protected riverways, preserving for future generations 80,000 acres along 134 miles of the pristine rivers.

Because of its magnificent, clear, spring-fed waters, the Riverways' use as a recreational retreat has increased to a level that now threatens the health of the waters. The waters are not as clear as they once were and many are troubled by the area's deterioration.

The National Park Service is entrusted with the long-term care and protection of the Riverways, but has failed to implement appropriate measures to stem the tide of overuse. We want the Riverways to be clean, healthy, and safe for today's Americans, and for future generations. It is time to recommit to the vision.

The original management plan called for limited access points, but there are hundreds of trails and roads leading straight to the water's edge. Each additional access point means more people, more footprints.

Off-road vehicle and ATV use has the potential to completely devastate a natural area by compacting soil, destroying plants, and increasing runoff and pollution. Vehicles plowing through sandbars and shallows, along with motor boats, also impede use by those who seek a truly natural and safe environment for canoeing, fishing, swimming, and camping.

Many of those who love the Ozark wilderness enjoy it on horseback. But in excess, even this can cause damage. When as many as 3,000 horses and riders access the waters in a single weekend, their waste can overwhelm the capacity of natural systems making certain areas unsafe for swimming. This level of use can also impact banks, increase sediment, cause erosion, and harm wildlife habitats.

Conservation easements that are in place at taxpayer expense to preserve the historical and scenic landscape have been unenforced, leading to violations that have altered the landscape and threaten the beauty of the Riverways.

Other National Parks that safeguard natural resources, like the Buffalo National River and Yellowstone National Park, have management plans that balance recreational use and sustainable natural resource standards. At long last, the Parks Service is seeking public input for a new Ozark National Scenic Riverways General Management Plan.

This is a time when direct citizen participation is needed. Your first opportunity is a week-long series of public meetings:

Monday, June 22, 5-8PM
Van Buren Community Center, Intersection of D Hwy and Business 60, Van Buren, MO 63965

Tuesday, June 23, 5-8PM
Eminence High School New Gym, 1 Redwing Drive (College Drive), Eminence, MO 65466

Wednesday, June 24, 5-8PM
Ozark Natural & Cultural Resource Center, 202 S. Main Street (Hwy 19), Salem, MO 65560

Thursday, June 25, 3:30-7PM
Courtyard by Marriott, 3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201

Friday, June 26, 3:30-7PM
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105

If you cannot attend one of the National Park Service public meetings, please review the plan and submit your comments in support of better management practices including implementation of appropriate usage standards. Every comment counts, so please make yours. You may also submit comments in writing and, most recommended, electronically.

To learn more, you can view and share a new Missouri Parks Association and Friends of Ozark Riverways documentary entitled Why We Must Save the Current River, Again. For the first time ever, it tells the story of the Riverways from the conservationist point of view. It reminds us all of those who went before and why they saved the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and why we must follow their example and save the rivers, again.

Please be a Friend to Ozark Riverways. You can make a difference if you speak up.

 

5/28/09 2009 Legislative Recap and Your Action Needed on Climate Bill


Advancing key environmental policy issues in Missouri requires strong lobbying efforts in the state capitol. It also requires a strong voice that can stand up to the often well-financed efforts of special interests. The Missouri Coalition for the Environment is a proud member on one such effort - the Missouri Conservation and Environmental Alliance (MCEA). MCEA is a coalition of diverse conservation and environmental organizations in Missouri.

MCEA members meet regularly to coordinate their legislative priorities, to educate state legislators about issues of common concern that are impacting Missouri's environment, and to fund common lobbying efforts in Jefferson City. Missouri Votes Conservation founded the alliance in 2007 to increase the effectiveness of the conservation community in the state.

In the two years since it has been active, MCEA has become a powerful force in helping pass conservation legislation in Missouri. The current partners of MCEA are Audubon Missouri, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, the Missouri Parks Association, the Missouri Sierra Club, the Missouri Recycling Association, Missouri Votes Conservation, and the U.S. Green Building Council St. Louis Regional Chapter.

End of Session report


The 2009 legislative session came to a close on May 15 with some successes for Missouri's environment and some defeats. Below are some highlights or read the full report.

Successes
  • Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) bill was defeated which prevents AmerenUE from charging rate payers for construction of a coal or nuclear plant before it provides electricity.
  • Department of Natural Resources legislation passed, extending the waste tire fee and water pollution fees, and creating an Energy Futures Fund, among other things.
  • Energy efficiency legislation passed to make efficiency more financially attractive to utilities.
  • Audit Privilege (aka "Dirty Secrets") bill failed. This measure gives immunity to companies that self-report pollution spills and other environmental "incidents".
  • Sand and gravel mining legislation passed, which lowers the tonnage of gravel that can be removed from streams and requires counties to notify DNR before mining sand and gravel.
  • Compromise historic tax credits legislation passed, which caps the credit but leaves out small projects.

Disappointments
  • A variety of green building and green energy issues failed, such as tax credits for alternative energy and hybrid cars, the creation of an alternative energy loan authority, requiring energy efficiency ratings of newly constructed residential homes, and establishment of a solar and wind incentives program.
  • A recycled TVs bill failed, which would provide labeling and recycling requirements for television manufacturers.
  • Bonding for state parks bill failed, which would have included $250 million for capital projects including improvements to state parks.
  • Complete Streets and transportation bill failed, which would have required transportation projects to provide consideration for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and people with disabilities.

Support bold action on climate change


As Congress considers the most ambitious overhaul of American energy policy in decades, it is vital that members of Congress hear from you. Hanging in the balance are thousands of new, good-paying green collar jobs, energy independence, and an opportunity to curb global warming pollution before it's too late.

But some of the Missouri delegation is still on the fence. They need to know there is no more time for "wait and see," and the time to create a comprehensive clean energy policy is now. Sign a petition telling Congress that you support bold action on climate change. Your signature will be presented along with thousands of others to Sen. Claire McCaskill, Rep. Roy Blunt and the rest of the members of Congress from Missouri next week.

 

5/21/09 eARThworks: Great Art for a Great Cause


On Saturday, May 30 at 6pm, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment invites you to the eARThworks Art Auction at the Gallery at the Regional Arts Commission at 6128 Delmar in St. Louis. Over sixty regional artists have donated pieces to support the Coalition's work.

The event also will feature a wide array of appetizers from local restaurants and caterers, music by Silk Pajamas, and fire spinning by Tastes Like Burning. Tickets are on a sliding scale of $90 or $35 dollars per person. To reserve tickets, please call 314-727-0600 or register online.

Among the contributing artists are:
Tom Huck, the bad boy of the print world
Nancy Newman Rice, the notable pointillist
Michael Bauermeister, the sculptor who WOOD be king
Elizabeth Concannon, the widely collected collage artist
Paul Shank, fresh from his celebrated retrospective at the Philip Slein Gallery
Heidi Lung, whose sculptural, knotted landscapes are inspired by poetry
Larry Krone, local boy who's taking a big bite out of the Big Apple
And the estate of the esteemed colorist Bill Kohn

We hope to see you there!

 

5/7/09 Art, Sewers, and Highways: What Do They Have in Common?


They all present opportunities for you to get out of the house and do some good in the world this coming week. And at least one of them will be fun to boot!
  • Friday, May 8: eARThworks Opening
  • Wednesday, May 13: Public meeting on St. Louis sewer upgrades
  • Thursday, May 14: Public hearing on Highway 141 expansion

eARThworks Exhibit Opening


The Coalition's benefit art exhibit, eARThworks, opens Friday, May 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis. Please come check out all the great nature -- and recycling -- themed works donated by more than 60 regional painters, sculptors, woodworkers, photographers and other artists.

And don't forget the gala art auction on Saturday, May 30, starting at 6 p.m., which will feature a wide array of appetizers from local restaurants and caterers, music by Silk Pajamas, and fire spinning by Tastes Like Burning. Cost to attend is $35 ($2 cash bar). To reserve tickets, call 727-0600.

Public Meeting on St. Louis Sewer Upgrades


The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in St. Louis is being required to finally fix the combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that dump billions of gallons of sewage and stormwater runoff into area streams and rivers every year. It will take time and money, but our streams will be healthier and much safer to use and enjoy.

St. Louis ACORN is partnering with MSD in offering a public meeting Wednesday, May 13, where you can learn more about the proposed system upgrade. Following a presentation on the nature of the problem, there will be breakout sessions on various options MSD is pursuing, their costs, and their environmental impacts. This will be your chance to discuss with MSD and fellow residents the importance of cleaning up St. Louis streams while insisting on greater transparency and accountability from MSD.

The meeting will be held in Tegeler Hall at St. Louis University, 3550 Lindell Boulevard from 6 to 8 pm. Refreshments will be provided.

Public Hearing on the Proposed Highway 141 expansion


The Missouri Highway 141 project, which has been featured prominently in newspapers and other media over the past couple of months, proposes to build two 6-lane highway segments in St. Louis County to widen, relocate, and extend the road between Ladue Road and the Maryland Heights Expressway. It is a very unwise use of federal stimulus dollars, stands to decrease quality of life and property values for local residents, and will destroy some of the only remaining wooded wetlands in St. Louis County. The highway project will also pave the way for further sprawl development in the Howard Bend floodplain.

There will be an Open House Public Hearing on the Highway 141 project on Thursday, May 14, from 4 to 8 pm at the Parkway Central High School gymnasium (369 Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO). For those who are not able to attend the public hearing, you have until May 24 to comment on St. Louis County's Draft Environmental Assessment. Comments can be directed to: John Hicks, St. Louis County Highways & Traffic, 121 South Meramec Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63105 or to jhicks@stlouisco.com.

Please attend this public hearing and speak out against this ill-advised and environmentally damaging project. For more information on opposition to the project, please visit My Way is No Highway.

We hope to see you often this week!

 

5/1/09 Renewable Energy Events Near You


Learn More about Renewables at Fun Upcoming Events


The next few months are chock full of cool Clean Energy Events across the region. Please check out one of these great events near you:
  • Shawnee Energy Festival, Originally scheduled for May 2-3 (but postponed and rescheduled due to rain) at Green Retreat, just 3 miles outside Carbondale, IL. This festival includes 40 workshops, with topics including energy efficiency, renewable energy, bio-fuels, solar power, off-grid living, and much more. Visit www.ShawneeEnergyFest.com to learn when this is being rescheduled.
  • Columbia Advancing Renewables Conference, Wednesday, June 3, at the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building on the University of Missouri campus. Region-based renewable energy projects and technologies, including the diverse resources of wind, efficiency, biomass, and solar, are discussed and exhibited at this one-day event. Check out www.AdvancingRenewables.org for more information.
  • EcoCar Summer Camp, July 6-10 at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. For rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, this summer camp will incorporate many different engineering disciplines as they explore the boundaries between science, engineering, and the environment. Specifically, they will investigate hydrogen fuel cell cars. If interested, the application deadline is May 31, 2009. For more information and to apply, visit http://summer.mst.edu.
  • 2009 Green Homes Festival, Saturday, September 26 - Grandel Square, the mid-town St. Louis home of the Earthways Center, will become an exciting Green Street Promenade of exhibitors, green vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and kid's activities. Come paint a Metro Bus and build and race a solar car. Learn about efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. Festival admission and parking is free. Visit www.GreenHomesSTL.org to learn more, to volunteer, or to join us as an exhibitor or sponsor.

 

4/27/09 Still On the Table: Ten Percent for Missouri State Parks


Next week is about our last chance to help secure funding for Missouri park infrastructure in this General Assembly session. For all those camp fire memories, summer float trips, fall hikes, school field trips and family traditions you have involving our state parks, please make this call.

Please call the members of the committee and encourage them to secure 10% for state parks.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
* Gary Nodler, 32nd, Chairman
* Rob Mayer, 25th, Vice-Chairman
* Tom Dempsey, 23rd
* David Pearce, 31st
* Chuck Purgason, 33rd
* Scott Rupp, 2nd
* Kurt Schaefer, 19th
* Frank Barnitz, 16th
* Joan Bray, 24th
* Tim Green, 13th
* Yvonne Wilson, 9th

Please CALL 573-751-2000 and ask to be transferred to the office of a committee member.

Background

Missouri is widely recognized as having one of the finest systems of state parks and historic sites in the nation, attracting 16 million visitors a year. This is a tribute to Missouri citizens who take pride in our state and its parks and have cared enough to support them over the years. In each of the past five biennia Missouri was one of the three or four finalists for the gold medal for state park systems, which each year went to a larger, better funded system.

But this stature and the future quality of our state parks and historic sites are in serious jeopardy unless they receive a major infusion of capital improvement funds to maintain and upgrade aging facilities. Our parks have not received major capital project investment since the 1980s and the wear and tear is showing. Such funds are available in this time of economic crisis and with your help we can ensure that our state parks and historic sites continue to be sources of enjoyment, pride, and economic stimulus. Please act today to let your representatives in the state legislature know how much you love our state parks, and ask them to support "Ten Percent for State Parks" in any capital improvements bond issue for state facilities (including HJR 32) or any appropriation for capital improvements from federal stimulus funds.

How to Take Action

Please CALL 573-751-2000 and ask to be transferred to the office of a committee member. Or simply use our take action website with an easy-to-send email letter (it is always best to personalize it).

 

4/22/09 Yes, It's a Happy Earth Day!


Is the CWIP bill dead?


Jefferson City reporters are posting stories this afternoon that AmerenUE's bills that would allow construction work in progress charges (CWIP) for new power plants are dead for this session.

Of course we're not entirely convinced some hideous version of this won't be resurrected in some late night, last-ditch effort, but for today, it's good news.

This welcome news comes on the heels of other good news...

St. Louis Council Passes Resolution on Radioactive Waste Site


Last night the St. Louis County Council passed a resolution asking Congress to transfer responsibility of the West Lake radioactive waste site to the Army Corps of Engineers so that it can be cleaned up. This important public action will help convey to federal officials that leaving radioactive waste in the Missouri River floodplain is unacceptable to our community.

You can help get this message across by telling our Senators that the waste needs to be removed from the floodplain.

The West Lake site, located on St. Charles Rock Road at Earth City, is in the geologic floodplain of the Missouri River - a significant drinking water source for the St. Louis region. In 1973, radioactive wastes left over from atomic weapons programs in St. Louis were illegally dumped at West Lake. The site has since become a Superfund site and the EPA had proposed to leave the wastes on site, despite local recommendations that they be removed like the other radioactive wastes in St. Louis. For background on the site, see http://www.moenviron.org/westlake2.asp.

Earth Day Sunday, April 26


Lastly, we hope to see you Sunday at Forest Park in St. Louis from 11-6 p.m. for the annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival events. We are partnering with the River Des Peres Watershed Coalition to help everyone learn how to protect our streams by reducing polluted runoff. You can order a rain barrel, map your role in protecting our region's waters, and join the Coalition.

Have a terrific Earth Day.

Thank you for your membership, support, and effort.

 

4/20/09 Ameren Greenwashes CWIP Bill


Have you been following the drama over electricity rate legislation playing out at the state Capitol this year? It's often more shocking than daytime soaps, complete with corporate buy-outs, name calling, and outright lies.

We anticipated that AmerenUE's effort to overturn the voter-enacted ban on charging rate payers for Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) was going to garner a lot of attention, but who knew their efforts to pass the legislation would be this dishonest?

In a recent TV commercial, Ameren "greenwashes" the CWIP bill with images showing wind and solar technologies. This ad is doubly misleading: wind and solar projects do not require CWIP financing to be built and Ameren's most recent resource plan does not include wind or solar projects.

In reality, overturning the ban on CWIP is for one purpose only - to force ratepayers to assume the risk and expense of a second nuclear reactor at Callaway before the plant delivers any electricity to the ratepayers and with no guarantee the plant will ever produce electricity. It is deceptive to name the bill "the Clean and Renewable Energy Construction Act" and to actively mislead the public into thinking its passage will increase the usage of solar and wind in Missouri. In fact, the CWIP bill does just the opposite because investing $10 billion or more into Callaway 2 leaves little money for investment into renewable sources.

My frustration increased when Tom Voss, president and chief executive of AmerenUE, pointed to the November passage of Proposition C as proof that Missourians favor a new nuclear reactor. Prop C explicitly excluded nuclear power because of its expensive price tag and its public health and environmental impacts.

Beyond Ameren's greenwashing of the bill, the utility company is also misleading the public with blatant miscalculations of the actual price tag of Callaway 2 and the rate impact CWIP will have on consumers. A study by the Missouri Office of Public Counsel reports the CWIP legislation would likely lead to a 40% increase in electric rates, well above the number Ameren officials are telling legislators and the public.

Beyond rate increases, the CWIP bill also requires ratepayers to finance a plant without a guarantee the plant will ever come online. If costs soar or if the project is abandoned after billions are invested, ratepayers would end up paying the bill. It would authorize quarterly rate hikes and dismantle other oversight and rate payer protections.

If Missouri legislators approve CWIP, Missouri is locked into a nuclear future rather than allowing Missouri to transition to proven alternatives that are cleaner, cheaper, and more quickly available. In a free market, nuclear power could not survive because investors won't touch it. The industry is largely reliant on enormous public subsidies. Without the federal government assuming liability risks and a huge portion of the costs for research, processing, storing, and moving radioactive materials, there would be no nuclear industry.

If the General Assembly overturns the ban on CWIP, Missouri ratepayers will be forced to subsidize the nuclear industry even further, delaying the more prudent use of renewable technologies for decades to come. During that time, other states will invest in efficiency improvements and make the transition to renewable energy, and will gain a competitive edge, and attract business and jobs while supplying cheaper and cleaner energy (without producing nuclear waste).

CWIP underwrites a foolish commitment to obsolete technology that simply cannot compete in a free market when wind, solar, and other renewable sources are readily available. If the CWIP boondoggle passes and Callaway 2 is built, Ameren will be the only beneficiary at the expense of consumers, thanks to our state legislators.

In 1976, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that prohibited CWIP charges that was aimed at stopping just such corporate giveaways. Today, polls shows that 82% of Missourians are opposed to overturning the ban on CWIP. CWIP is a corporate bailout for Ameren at the expense of Missouri families already struggling to make ends meets.

Use this form to email your legislator and ask him or her vote no on CWIP. Meanwhile, Ameren should rethink its misleading communication tactics.

 

4/14/09 Act Now: Ten Percent for Missouri State Parks


Missouri is widely recognized as having one of the finest systems of state parks and historic sites in the nation, attracting 16 million visitors a year. This is a tribute to Missouri citizens who take pride in our state and its parks and have cared enough to support them over the years. In each of the past five biennia Missouri was one of the three or four finalists for the gold medal for state park systems, which each year went to a larger, better funded system.

But this stature and the future quality of our state parks and historic sites are in serious jeopardy unless they receive a major infusion of capital improvement funds to maintain and upgrade aging facilities. Our parks have not received major capital project investment since the 1980s and the wear and tear is showing. Such funds are available in this time of economic crisis and with your help we can ensure that our state parks and historic sites continue to be sources of enjoyment, pride, and economic stimulus. Please act today to let your representatives in the state legislature know how much you love our state parks, and ask them to support "Ten Percent for State Parks" in any capital improvements bond issue for state facilities (including HJR 32) or any appropriation for capital improvements from federal stimulus funds.

Reductions in Funding Have Hit Parks and Historic Sites


There is a general perception that state parks do not need additional funding because they receive half of the 1/10th cent parks and soils sales tax. But in fact the capacity provided by this tax, which was designed to provide substantial funding for capital improvements as well as enhanced operations, has been eroded over the past quarter century by the loss of general revenue and multiple diversions and sales tax exemptions to the point where it is no longer sufficient even for basic operations and the most minimal upkeep of facilities.

The result is a backlog of more than $175 million in deferred rehabilitation of facilities and infrastructure, such as water and wastewater systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in visitor centers and other buildings, Katy Trail bridges, culverts and resurfacing, group camps and campgrounds. The current economic crisis simply punctuates a grim reality that has become increasingly obvious to park system leaders and supporters during the past fifteen years.

Opportunity is Knocking


With crisis comes opportunity, and there are several options for dealing with the capital improvement needs of state parks and historic sites in the current session of Missouri General Assembly. One is securing an amendment to include parks in House Joint Resolution 32, which would establish a $700 million Fifth State Building Bond and Interest Fund for buildings and other capital improvements at institutions of higher education. The bonds would be retired with a revenue stream in the state budget freed by the paying off of the $600 million Third State Building Fund of the mid-1980s from which parks received ten percent of the total, the last major capital infusion into the state park system.

The Missouri Parks Association is supporting an amendment to increase the bond issue to $775 million and include ten percent for state parks. The other option is including funds for state park needs in a capital improvements appropriation that may be crafted for use of some of Missouri's nearly $5 billion share of federal stimulus and stabilization funds. Neither will happen unless citizens who care about parks voice their concerns to their state representatives and senators.

Impacts of A Thousand Cuts


The parks and soils sales tax, which was approved by Missouri voters in 1984 and began to produce revenue for parks in fiscal year 1986, was designed as a supplement to the general revenue that supported staff salaries and basic operations, and indeed the legislature maintained general revenue appropriations for a number of years. But at a time of budget crisis following the first successful renewal of the tax by a 69 percent majority vote of the citizenry, general revenue of some $11 million was stripped from the budget, an amount that in today's dollars would be more than $20 million a year.

There were also diversions ("transfers") to other state agencies for expenses such as administration, rent, staff benefits, and other services formerly budgeted through those agencies, amounting by fiscal 1994 to more than $5 million a year. When all state facilities had to be upgraded to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, the expenses of other state agencies were covered from a special fund but the cost of more than $12.5 million to state parks, with its many visitor facilities and historic buildings, was again assigned to the sales tax.

By 1994, as MPA leaders and others began planning for the second renewal of the sales tax, it was obvious that the sales tax would be stretched thin just to provide for basic operations, and there would be very little for capital improvements. There was already a growing backlog of deferred maintenance. But it was judged politically far too risky to change the 50:50 parks:soils split or to increase the tax, with basic park operations now so utterly dependent on it. This is when leaders began looking toward the inclusion of parks in another capital improvements bond issue, though retirement of the Third State Building bond issue was still far off. All good state park systems, they realized, benefited from periodic infusions of major funds for capital improvements, often through bond issues.

Meanwhile, there have been an ever-increasing number of sales tax exemptions by the legislature and the courts that have cut deeply into the projected growth of sales tax revenues. And now, in the current economic crisis, sales tax revenues have already fallen seven percent, resulting in a $3 million shortfall for parks and requiring a 15 percent reduction across the board in all park units.

Projections for the next fiscal year are even more dire, with a $7-10 million shortfall projected. More than twenty permanent positions have been eliminated (on top of others cut in recent years), travel curtailed, even more maintenance deferred, and it is likely that more positions will be eliminated, visitor centers will be closed several days a week and some campground loops and group camps closed. The park system has benefited from superb management adept at wresting every possible efficiency in recent years, or the consequences of prolonged constraint and the current crisis would be even more obvious to our 16 million park visitors a year.

Stopping the Decline: Ten Percent for State Parks


If and when the economy improves, sales tax revenues will pick up, but park operations will continue to be constrained and the amount available for even the most basic maintenance and rehabilitation will continually decline, with ever increasing backlogs. That is why it is so critical that parks be included in any new capital improvement bond issue or state appropriation of federal stabilization or other stimulus funds.

As the successor to the third state building fund, which represented the greatest infusion of capital into the park system since the New Deal during the Great Depression of the 1930s, HJR 32's fifth state building fund is a logical vehicle for parks; there is logic also in the link with public educational institutions, since parks and historic sites are major public venues for non-formal education.

If this joint resolution, which would have to be approved by a vote of the people, is passed by both houses, the enormous reservoir of citizen support for the park system statewide will help to secure its passage by the Missouri electorate. If HJR 32 does not pass the legislature this year, a similar bond issue will likely be proposed again in order to take advantage of the revenue stream from retiring the previous bonds, the current favorable interest rate for bond sales, and federal stimulus funds available to pay one-third of the interest payments for the life of the bonds.

The other option for funding the backlog of park system infrastructure rehabilitation and other capital improvements is an appropriation from federal stimulus or stabilization funds available to Missouri. There is no specific provision for parks in the federal stimulus bill, which is largely intended to support transportation and technology investments, so the most likely source would be the $2.1-2.3 billion in stabilization funds, about which there is considerable debate and contention in the state legislature.

Appropriation bills must be passed a week before the May 15 adjournment of the General Assembly, so it is critical to contact your representative and senator right away to ask for their support in amending HJR 32 to include state parks and including state parks in any capital improvements bill that will utilize federal stimulus/stabilization funds. Support ten percent for state parks.

How to Take Action


Please CALL your state representative and senator right away (the earlier the better). If you don't have your rep's name or number, simply call 573-751-2000, give the operator your zip code and asked to be transferred to your representative's office. If your rep is not available, leave a message. Or simply use our take action website with an easy-to-send email letter (it is always best to personalize it).

 

3/19/09 40% Rate Increase? No Way. No CWIP!


40% hike in electric rates for more dirty energy? No Way, No CWIP!


The Missouri Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee is considering a monumental change in electric utility regulation (CWIP) that will allow utilities to pass on the entire risk and cost to ratepayers of large and expensive coal and nuclear energy projects.

Senate Bill 228 is a massive anti-consumer corporate giveaway that will hike electric rates 40% to pay for these dirty and expensive projects before they provide one watt of energy to consumers. And they have the audacity to call it the "The Clean and Renewable Energy Construction Act".

Click here to send a message to the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee members asking them to oppose CWIP.

Also, please forward this email to friends and family and ask them to take action to tell legislators that we want a clean, renewable energy future, not more of the same tired energy policy and huge corporate giveaways. Missouri will be better served with investments in low-cost energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy that will transform Missouri's economy while creating good jobs NOW in every Missouri community.

Thanks for your continued help fighting this especially bad legislation.

 

3/11/09 Radioactive Waste to Remain in Floodplain


EPA Prepares to Cover Up Nuclear Waste in Bridgeton, MO


Any day now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may start directing the clearance of ground-cover and small trees off the tops of two areas containing some of the most radioactive wastes in the United States. The EPA will then estimate how many truckloads of rocks, construction rubble, and clay will be needed to create a "cover" (but no bottom or sides) for an illegal, non-licensed waste dump at West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton in the floodplain of the flood-prone Missouri River. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works generated these wastes during the production of nuclear weapons in the 1940's and '50's.

All the other sites where Mallinckrodt generated or dumped weapons wastes in St. Louis City and County have been or are being excavated and shipped to a licensed disposal site in Utah or Idaho by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The EPA - Region 7, however, as the federal agency responsible for West Lake, issued a Record of Decision in May 2008 dictating that the wastes in Bridgeton will be left where they are. The cities of Florissant, Bridgeton and Hazelwood have all passed resolutions echoing the Missouri Coalition for the Environment in support of the removal of the West Lake waste to a licensed disposal site, away from water and away from people, and in opposition to the EPA's plan.

Please fax your Missouri Senators and urge them to oppose the EPA's Record of Decision to leave radioactive waste in the Westlake Landfill.

"The Army Corps of Engineers has already calculated the risk and made the decision to clean up the same wastes in other areas of St. Louis City and County," says Kathleen Logan Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. "This is the agency that has historically dealt with nuclear weapons waste - they should be required to clean up the West Lake site."

West Lake is only 8 1/2 river miles upstream from Missouri American Water Company's drinking water intake structure in Florissant, used for everyone who lives or works north of I-70 in North St. Louis County. West Lake is also upstream from the City of St. Louis's Chain of Rocks drinking water intake.

If vegetation were to be cut and killed at West Lake, radioactive radon gas generated by the buried wastes can escape more readily into the air we breathe through funnels created where the roots die and disintegrate. A person can inhale this radon gas (from Uranium-238) into the lungs where it converts into radioactive lead-210 (half-life of 22 years) which continues releasing radioactive alpha particles for some 220 years. These radioactive particles will increase the person's risk of damage to tissues, cells, DNA and other vital molecules, potentially causing programmed cell death (apoptosis), genetic mutations, cancers, leukemias, birth defects, and reproductive immune, cardiovascular and endocrine system disorders.

 

2/13/09 Callaway II Scoping Hearing and CWIP Hearings


Feds to Host Meeting on MO Nuke #2 - February 18th


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will host two public meetings as they prepare to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement on the second nuclear reactor AmerenUE is seeking to construct in mid-Missouri, known as Callaway Unit II. The meetings will be held at

Champ Auditorium in Westminster College
501 Westminster Ave.
Fulton, Missouri 65251
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Open house begins at noon with a public meeting covening at 1 p.m. A second meeting will open at 5 p.m. and convene at 6 p.m.
You can join the St. Louis carpool if you would like.

Anyone wishing to speak may do so at that time, or submit comments in writing by March 24. Written comments must reference the Federal Register dated January 23, 2009 pages 4257-4258 and can be submitted to:

Chief, Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch
Division of Administrative Services
Office Of Administration, Mailstop TWB-05-B01M
U.S. Regulatory Commission
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001
or by Email to the NRC at Callaway.COLEIS@nrc.gov

AmerenUE's application for Callaway II is available on line here: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/callaway.html

AmerenUE has submitted a license application to construct a 1600 megawatt nuclear fission reactor at its Callaway site on the Missouri River. The proposed reactor is known as the "Evolutionary Power Reactor" or the "European Pressurized Reactor", aka EPR and is marketed by the French government nuclear utility, Areva.

The plant's construction cost has been estimated from $6 billion -$12 billion. The costs of decommissioning the world's largest reactor was estimated by the State of Missouri to be $19 billion - $41 billion. The EPR design is untested and unproven because no EPR unit is yet up and running. France and Finland each have one EPR under construction. Both have run into delays because of defects in construction. The Finnish reactor is at least 50% over budget. EPR reactors also generate more plutonium - the coveted ingredient for nuclear weapons, raising concerns about nuclear proliferation and terrorist threats.

More Nuke = More Hazard

Because this reactor design has a higher fuel burn-up rate, it increases the intensity of the fuel's ionizing radiation. The implications of this on worker safety, waste storage, and decommissioning are not yet fully characterized though the Finnish environmental impact statement offers some discussion. (See here.) Hotter waste will require more space, more buffers, more protections - and more money. We don't have other options at Callaway. With the South Carolina low-level radioactive waste storage site now closed to Missouri waste, the "low-level" waste will be stored on site at Callaway, along with the spent fuel rods.

Hope y'all can come Wednesday.

Join us in Jefferson City for a Clean, Green Missouri on February 17


Conservation Lobby Day is Tuesday, February 17th. If you have not registered to join us for this spectacular exercise in democracy, please do it now at our website: www.moenviron.org

Energy will be a top agenda item, along with sustainable agriculture.

BONUS! CWIP Hearings

For those of you that missed the 3.5 hour hearing on Senate Bill 228 last week - the "construction work in progress" or CWIP bill that will hike our electric rates while promoting coal and nuclear energy -- you will have another chance. The House committee will be holding its hearing on HB 554 at noon Tuesday in House Hearing Room 1 (rescheduled after last week's cancellation), and the Senate committee will question the Public Service Commission on SB 228 and CWIP at 3 pm on Tuesday, in the Senate Lounge.

These bills would overturn the no construction work in progress (No-CWIP) law that has protected Missouri consumers from unfair electric surcharges for more than three decades. For more details see last week's E-Alert.

For other actions you can take, visit www.NoCWIP.org and click on the Take Action link on the left. There you can:
Bottom line: we have cleaner, greener, more democratic solutions and we should build them.

Join the No-CWIP fight today!

 

2/6/09 Lawmakers Host CWIP Hearing Tuesday


CWIP Bill Hearing Set; Dirty Secrets is Back


Senate Bill 228, the bill that will hike our electric rates while promoting coal and nuclear energy, will be heard at 3 pm on Tuesday, February 10 in the Senate Lounge. A hearing for a similar House version of the CWIP bill (HB 554) will be at noon on Tuesday in House Hearing Room 1.

These bills would overturn the no construction work in progress (No-CWIP) law that has protected Missouri consumers from unfair electric surcharges for more than three decades. CWIP is patently unfair because it allows a monopoly utility like St. Louis-based AmerenUE to transfer risk from investors to consumers. AmerenUE wants to shift that risk, because Wall Street investors will not invest in its plan to construct a second nuclear reactor in Callaway County.

Furthermore, AmerenUE is being coy about how much our rates would go up should this legislation be passed and the Public Service Commission has not required AmerenUE to perform a rate impact study on the impact of Callaway 2.

The Office of Public Counsel reports the CWIP charges resulting from Callaway 2 will increase your electric bills between 30%-50%.

In 1976, we voted to ban utilities from passing CWIP charges along to ratepayers by a 2 to 1 majority. We must make sure that this new legislation is not allowed to undo the expressed will of the voters.

Furthermore, nuclear power is less of a solution per dollar in the climate crisis. We should instead be investing in real solutions. Renewables and energy efficiency are faster, cheaper, and cleaner options. Unfortunately, Missouri ranks 45th in energy efficiency policy.

For those of you who won this in 1976, thank you. Here we go again. For all of us who have enjoyed fair electric rates ever since and want Missouri to move to clean, renewable energy, we'll need to work together to stop CWIP yet again.

What You Can Do for a Clean Energy Future


We encourage you to attend this hearing in Jefferson City on the CWIP bill and show your support for preserving this important consumer protection law. If you plan to attend, please reply to this email and let us know to expect you.

For other actions you can take, visit www.NoCWIP.org and click on the Take Action link on the left. There you can:
  • Write your state legislators
  • Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and make your opinion heard in your community.
  • Sign a No CWIP petition which will be presented to Missouri lawmakers.
  • Spread the word and let others know about this important issue and what they can do to help.
Join the No-CWIP fight today!

Dirty Secrets Returns


Representative Walt Bivins' perennial "Dirty Secrets" bill, HB 109 is back and is set for a hearing also on Tuesday at 8 a.m. in Hearing Room 1. This bill, the "environmental audit" bill, would allow companies to self-report environmental problems and escape any penalties and documentation. The bill is entirely unnecessary and could dangerously weaken our environmental laws. Our Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources does not penalize operations that identify and fix problems. This bill is not needed to get good operations to keep being good, or to get bad operations to improve.

 

1/28/09 Tell Missouri to Go Green - Attend Conservation Lobby Day


Attend Lobby Day and tell Legislators to Go Green


Conservation Lobby Day
Missouri State Capitol
Tuesday, February 17, 9:30-3:30

We need your help to get better environmental laws enacted in Missouri. Join us at Conservation Lobby Day in Jefferson City on Tuesday, February 17. Lobby Day is sponsored by Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Missouri Votes Conservation, and Sierra Club. Register today.

This annual event brings together concerned citizens from around the state to talk with state legislators about environmental issues facing Missouri. You don't have to know a lot about the legislative process, or even about upcoming bills. You just have to care about a clean, healthy environment for Missouri.

Conservation Lobby Day has grown in recent years. It draws citizens who represent a diversity of conservation interests, from environmentalists, scientists, students and business owners to hunters, anglers and farmers. Help us show Missouri lawmakers that their constituents want Missouri to Go Green. Register to Attend Lobby Day.

Learn About Ameren's Efforts to Overturn Law and Raise your Rates


A Conversation with Utility Financial Expert, Peter Bradford
February 2-4, 2009

Few people know more about the complex machinations of utility financing than Peter Bradford, former Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission, as well as former Chair of the Maine State Public Utility Commission, and former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Join Peter Bradford and a panel of fair electric rate advocates February 2-4 in St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City. Learn more about Ameren's effort to overturn the ban on CWIP and what this means for your utility rates.
  • St. Louis - Monday, February 2 at 7 p.m.
    Ethical Society of St. Louis
    9001 Clayton Road., St. Louis, MO 63117
  • Columbia - Tuesday, February 3: 6:45 p.m. Reception, 7:15 Panel
    Commission Chambers of the Boone County Government Center
    801 E. Walnut, Columbia, MO 65201
  • Kansas City - Wednesday, February 3 at 12:30 p.m.
    All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
    4501 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO

Bill Filed -- Ameren Asks Legislators for Your Blank Check


On Jan. 23, a bill was introduced in the Missouri legislature that, if passed, would guarantee higher electric bills for Missouri consumers.

Sponsored by southwest Missouri Republican Delbert Scott, Senate Bill 228 would overturn a 1976 voter-enacted law that keeps utilities from charging customers for a power plant that isn't yet built, and may never operate.

The bill modifies the no construction work in progress (No-CWIP) law that has protected Missouri consumers from unfair electric surcharges for more than three decades. Critics of the bill argue that CWIP is patently unfair because it allows an investor-owned utility like AmerenUE to transfers risk from investors to consumers.

Without overturning the voter-enacted law and reinstating CWIP, AmerenUE Chief Executive Thomas Voss told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they would not build the new nuclear reactor at Callaway 2, "We just couldn't do it. The risk would be too great. We don't think people would lend us the money. We don't think our board of directors would approve it. And we don't think our stockholders would think it's prudent."

"If an investment in Callaway 2 is not prudent for their stockholders, it is certainly imprudent for ratepayers who do not receive a return on investment," said Sister Barbara Jennings of Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investments.

"This bill will allow utilities to charge for electricity you are not currently getting, may never get, don't necessarily need, and for which AmerenUE cannot tell you the ultimate cost," AARP attorney John Coffman said. "It's simply incredible that the electric monopolies are unnecessarily raising rates during a recession when people are already struggling to pay their bills."

"Senate Bill 228 is a utility wish list that would not only wipe away Missouri's most pro-consumer utility law, it makes numerous anti-consumer changes to the ratemaking process," Coffman added.

"If your grocery store raised prices because they wanted to build a new store, you can just shop elsewhere," said Jennings. "But where else can Ameren customers buy power? Plus, I doubt a shopper would be willing to pay for a bag of groceries today that they may or may not receive in a decade."

"It is especially insulting to Missourians that they slapped a 'clean energy' label on a bill that really is an unfair rate scheme," said Kat Logan Smith of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. "Instead of increasing rates by reinstating CWIP, utilities should instead be investing in efficiency, conservation, biomass, wind, and solar projects - all feasible without requiring ratepayers to pay unfair CWIP rates."

Ameren has recently come under scrutiny for its lack of responsiveness during major power outages in 2007 and the collapse of the upper Taum Sauk reservoir in 2005. In both cases the public confidence in the giant utility was shaken. Since these incidents, Ameren has steeply increased its presence in Jefferson City. They now have 33 registered lobbyists in Jefferson City and gave over $240,000 to Missouri politicians in campaign contributions in 2008.

Missourians for Fair Electric Rates is a broad-based collection of organizations including AARP, Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investments, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, Missouri Sierra Club, and other groups who are devoted to maintaining fair electric rates in Missouri by opposing CWIP surcharges. Visit NoCWIP.org for more information and to get involved.

 

1/19/09 CWIP: Unfair Rate Hikes for Missouri Consumers



In our last Alert newsletter, we briefed you on the efforts of St. Louis-based electric utility AmerenUE to lobby our Missouri Legislators to repeal the current ban on charging ratepayers for Construction Work in Progress (CWIP). CWIP makes electric ratepayers provide a power company with a blank check for building a power plant. The Coalition for the Environment along with a coalition of groups that include the AARP, Missouri Office of Public Counsel, and Missouri Association for Social Welfare are working to preserve the law -- passed by a 2-to-1 majority of Missouri voters in 1976 -- that protects fair electric rates by banning CWIP charges.

Protect Your Pocketbook: Ask a Rate Expert

A Conversation with Utility Financial Expert Peter Bradford
February 2-4, 2009

Few people know more about the complex machinations of utility financing than Peter Bradford, former Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission, as well as former Chair of the Maine State Public Utility Commission, and former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Join Peter Bradford and a panel of fair electric rate advocates on the CWIP Truth Tour, February 2-4 in St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City. Learn more about the CWIP issue and how to protect your pocketbook.
  • Monday, February 2, - 7 p.m. Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road., St. Louis, Missouri 63117
  • Tuesday, February 3 - 6:45 p.m. Commission Chambers of the Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut, Columbia, Missouri, 65201

"Because nuclear power is not only expensive but is increasing in cost at a dramatic rate..." - Peter Bradford

Ameren Wants a Blank Check - Yours


In 1976, Missouri voters rightly decided that they would only pay utilities for electricity they are using, or technically, only begin to pay for the costs of building a power plant when it became "fully operational and used for service." It is not fair for ratepayers to pay now for a plant that may never come on-line, that may take at least ten years to construct, and for which we are not paid dividends.

Ameren is pressuring the Missouri General Assembly to overturn the voter-enacted law banning CWIP so it can access our pocketbooks for funds to build a second nuclear reactor at Callaway, with an estimated cost of at least $9 billion. Because Wall Street investors refuse to take on the risk by providing the financial capital for construction of new nuclear plants (with the past and current record of cost overruns, mistakes, and costly delays), Ameren hopes to persuade our elected officials to make the ratepayers pay instead.

Charging ratepayers for Construction Work in Progress removes the natural market incentives and puts the liability onto rate payers, offering nothing in return. When investors put up the cash for construction, they get a return on their investment in exchange for taking on the risk. They also exercise some oversight and thus motivate more careful attention to cost overruns caused by mistakes, delays, strikes, material and labor shortages, and more.

Ameren is looking to its ratepayers because private investors are not willing to invest into nuclear due to its risk and expense. The last order for a nuclear power plant in the United States that was not subsequently canceled was placed in October 1973. (Callaway was ordered in July 1973, one of the last four U.S. plants ordered that was not canceled.)

When Callaway I, the existing nuclear reactor, was completed and audited by the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), hundreds of millions of dollars were "disallowed" by the PSC as imprudent cost overruns. If AmerenUE knows the money to finance Callaway II is guaranteed upfront by ratepayers then the pressure to explore "least cost" options and manage efficiently is weakened.

Consumers already pay AmerenUE a high level of profit. Its electric monopoly is allowed to charge rates that include a rate of return (with a return on equity higher than 10%). This profit already compensates for the risks of planning and financing the utility's operations. If, in fact, Ameren prefers to have ratepayers bear its big risks, then AmerenUE's generous rate of return should be reduced or eliminated.

Ameren has been energetically courting our Missouri Legislators for more than a year to repeal the 1976 law. Help protect this important consumer protection law by calling your state representative, your state senator, (look them up here), the chair of the House Committee on Energy and Environment, and the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Energy, and the Environment. Urge them to protect fair electric rates, respect Missouri voters, and keep the ban on CWIP. Visit NoCWIP.org for more information on CWIP and how to get involved.


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