Missouri legislature at it again...

[Al Agnew]

I just got an alert about Senate Bill 22.  This bill was supposed to assist people suffering from radioactive and smoldering effects of the West Lake Landfill near Bridgeton, MO.  The problem dates from 1973, when about 8700 tons of radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project was mixed with soil and used to cover trash being dumped.  Sounds like something worthwhile, right?

EXCEPT, to pay for this relief, an amendment to this bill mandates that any and all lands purchased by the DNR or other state agencies in 2016 be immediately sold off.  That includes but is not limited to the Eleven Point State Park, Bryant Creek State Park, and Ozark Mountain State Park in Taney County.  Once again, they are trying to sell off OUR lands to private entities.

I'm already heartily sick and tired of this legislature.  Without a governor who will veto their idiocy, I'm afraid we who love the Missouri outdoors are going to be VERY unhappy the next few years.

[Chief Grey Bear]

It's really to force the selling of the park named after the last Gov. 

[fishinwrench]

What other lands were purchased in 2016 ?

[Phil Lilley]

I'm facebook friends and an acquaintance of Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal who co-sponsored the bill.   She's been all over the radioactive waste issue for a while - is very passionate about it.

Were those parks bought in 2016?  I thought they just renamed already purchased land.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Looks like Nixon Park was actually purchased in 2015. They are going to have to remend the bill and fire a staffer.

[Gavin]

Why give one thing and take another under the radar?  Feds should pay to remove the nuclear waste they ordered to be created not MO. 

[grizwilson]

SB 22  Chappelle-Nadal, Maria(D)  - Modifies provisions relating to hazardous waste, amendment added by Representative Ross that would require the sale of state parks to include Eleven Point, Bryant Creek, Ozark Mountain and Jay Nixon State Parks Status: Debated on House Floor today-Amendment introduced by Representative Matthiesen to remove state parks amendment was defeated 60-83, Entire bill was later defeated 65-79

[skeeter]

The concerns of Chappelle-Nadal are well founded on this issue but she and the others in the otherwise wholly-owned MO Legislature and Governor's Office are going about this mess entirely the wrong way.  

This is totally and completely a Federal Problem which is caused by the WWII era Manhattan-project Radioactive waste mess and the problem is far too large for just the State of Missouri to clean up and rectify.  Instead of "grandstanding" with little and no results at the State level, they should be bringing all the pressure they can muster on the entire cadre of Federal Missouri Politicians to get the Feds, especially the lying EPA bureaucrats, to get off their dead asses and clean this mess up once and for all.  

Our "pals" at the ACOE are actually far better, more efficient and thorough at cleaning up these "sites" and are well-recognized for it, yet, the EPA is still involved and has been caught in several lies about how dangerous to large numbers of Citizens the continued presence of this burning waste-dump is.  Lately, the EPA even published test results contradicting the findings of low-level radiation contamination of nearby homes by an independent testing lab and were caught lying by their own, Kansas City based review Board.   

If you think this situation in East Central Missouri doesn't affect you then you are unaware of ground-water tests that show low-level Radioactive contamination of ground water very near the Missouri River just upstream a few miles from its confluence with the Mississippi and the potential results of wind-borne radioactivity should the underground fire break thru their claimed underground barrier and the resulting Radioactive combustion products reach the atmosphere.  Even the surrounding Major School districts have prepared emergency procedures should that calamity occur.