Missouri’s 29 abandoned landfills could be closer to being cleaned up under a new bill.
Sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown (R-Washington), the bill reallocates 10%, roughly $1 million, from Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) annual revenue to restoration efforts.
The idea came to Brown after constituent Jim Roberts found a contaminated substance on his land. According to Brown, Roberts bought the land without knowing it was an abandoned landfill.
“This person received zero notice, and when they went back to the map, discovering the site on their property, they were told, ‘Oh there were plenty of rumors in the room,’ which I just think is ridiculous,” Brown said.
To counteract this, Brown’s bill requires sellers to inform a buyer if land has an abandoned landfill on it.
According to University of Missouri engineering school Dean Marisa Chrysochoou, landfills are meant to be sealed off with a protective liner when full. But abandoned landfills often lack this protection, or a person legally liable to take care of the land.
That lack of knowledge also makes remediation efforts more time consuming, as a cleaner has to test the land and develop a plan for treatment.
“To do an investigation of a site like [Roberts’], it typically takes something like $200,000-$300,000,” Chrysochoou said.
The problem is made more complicated without dedicated funding for remediation. Currently, those trying to clean abandoned landfills often have to apply for federal brownfield grants. But competition is high, as any county or state can ask for funding.
Brown wanted to solve some of these complications by increasing the amount of money available at the state level, something Chrysochoou agrees with.
“What I have seen from my experience from other states, the ones that make the most progress, the fastest, are the ones that have recurring funds,” Chrysochoou said.
Chrysochoou worked with Brown on this bill, guiding some of the policies the senator implemented. According to Brown, giving the DNR more oversight allows cases like Roberts’ to be cleaned up more quickly.
“In those cases right now, technically the department’s hands are tied,” Brown said. “This would untie them.”
The bill is currently awaiting Senate action.
