Parents, Doctors and Faith Leaders Host Forum Addressing Concerns about Air Pollution in Kansas City
By Gretchen Waddell Barwick, MO Chapter Sierra Club Staff

On August 13, the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a forum with top local experts and community leaders on the health impacts associated with high levels of air pollution in the Kansas City area.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have declared a portion of downtown Kansas City as having some of the most toxic air in the state from dangerously high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) air pollution.

Exposure to sulfur dioxide air pollution can cause breathing problems in as little as five minutes and may exacerbate some health problems such as asthma and heart disease.

Coal-fired power plants are the top sulfur dioxide polluters in the region. The Veolia coal-fired steam plant is a large contributor to high levels of sulfur dioxide pollution locally, as is KCP&L’s aging coal-fired power plant in Sibley. 

It’s time to find ways to phase out the region’s dirtiest coal plants and tap into the clean energy boom that’s happening in Kansas City.