by Carla Klein, Ozark Chapter Program Director
The 2004 legislative session was one of the most challenging environmentalists have ever faced. The Republican controlled House and Senate forced through several rollbacks on environmental protections. For the second year in a row anti-environmental legislation moved further along in the legislative process, than ever before.
During the final days and hours Missouri legislators passed two bills to slow or prevent the passage of new environmental rules by creating more hoops to jump through for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). With the help of Senator Ken Jacob, we were able to significantly scale back the impact of this legislation. The anti-environmental Republicans will declare these bills a victory; however, their victory is, in practical terms, a hollow one.
A terrible CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) bill, HCS/HB 1177, also passed. This CAFO legislation has the potential to cause devastating, long-term health and environmental impacts for Missouri’s future. HCS/HB 1177 violates the spirit if not the actual language of the federal Clean Water Act and imposes restrictions on County governments that attempt to keep these factory farms out. Sierra Club members are joining forces with family farmers and fishing groups to oppose this bill. We are calling on Governor Holden to veto HCS/HB 1177!
The 2004 session also brought major changes in how the process at the Capitol was conducted. Under conservative leadership, committee hearings were no longer a place for fair and equal consideration of an issue. Proponents of bad legislation were given as much time as desired for their testimony, while opponents were given 2–3 minutes. Often notices for committee hearings were posted just under the twenty-four hour notice required, making it difficult for those wishing to testify to arrange to attend. Hearings on contentious issues like the CAFO bill were even changed from the normal hearing time of noon to 8 am in the morning. On the House floor, the Speakers office used a procedural tactic, PQ (calling the Previous Question), to end debate and force a vote, more times than anyone could ever remember.
Despite our best efforts the Waste Tire Fee Program was not reinstated. This program cleaned up abandoned waste tire dumps and provided MO Stream Teams with funding to help in stream clean-ups. Old tires are a breading ground for mosquitoes and a fire hazard, making this an important health and safety issue as well as environmental. A disagreement over the distribution of funds to encourage recycling between Senator Klindt and Representative Guest ended up killing its passage.
Unreported sand & gravel mining almost became a reality. Once again Senator Sarah Steelman used the final hours of the session to try to open up the state to unregulated sand and gravel mining, allowing landowners and political subdivisions to contract and sell up to 2,000 tons of gravel without any permitting or reporting process. Time was on our side on this issue or it’s passage seemed inevitable.
As grim as this session was, I can state unequivocally, it would have been much worse if Sierra Club had not been there as the only constant opposition to bad legislation. Thanks to your efforts the Dirty Secrets Bill died a quiet death. Unfortunately we are faced with a much more frightening prospect next year, as we will lose many friends to term limits. Unless we change the balance of power in state Government, Missouri’s environmental laws are in serious trouble.
The good news is we can turn things around this next election; it will take hard work and involvement from all of our membership. When Sierra Club members join together to activate their grassroots support we have accomplished amazing things.
We are launching a new program called “Building Environmental Communities” (see “Learn How You Can Help Stop Bush’s Attack On Our Environment” on page 2). There are several ways to make a difference in the future of Missouri’s environment. Please call or email the Sierra Cub office and find out what you can do. It is time for concerned citizens to find their voice in shaping our future. Let’s do lunch, invite your Chapter Director to lunch or just snacks. I would love the opportunity to visit with members and friends to talk about how we take back our nation and state.