Columbia area residents and officials have started developing recommendations for cleaning up a local waterway.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that the citizen committee representing homeowners, developers, environmental advocates and local government officials held their first meeting last week. The group will work toward putting pollution-control measures in place for Hinkson Creek.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the state agreed in March to let Columbia, Boone County and University of Missouri officials take incremental steps toward reducing pollution and restoring aquatic life in the creek, which cuts through Columbia.
Shawn Grindstaff, an EPA facilitator who will guide the citizen committee, said it's a big step to have EPA, DNR and local entities working together.
The EPA has called for reducing stormwater runoff into Hinkson by nearly 40 percent.
