MCNA Action Alerts

• Committee: Agriculture, Food Production, and Outdoor Resources
• Time: 8:45 AM, March 4

Every year, MCE tracks bills that are proposed in the Missouri legislature and informs the public of how to effectively use their voice. To view Missouri bills read more.

Jeanne Louise Heuser, environmental activist, writer, researcher, and beloved founder of the Moniteau County Neighbors Alliance (MCNA) died peacefully at home July 17, at age 77. She was laid to rest in beautiful Echo Valley, the land she and her husband, Mark, called home. Jeanne dedicated her life to public service, environmental advocacy, and making scientific information accessible to all. Through her work and leadership, she inspired many to take action for clean water, healthy food systems, and a more just and sustainable Missouri.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to John Elliott and Ruth Bennett Heuser, Jeanne was raised in Milwaukee, Darien, Connecticut, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley before moving to Missouri as part of the “back-to-the-land” movement of the 1970s. In 1976, she founded Springfield Community Foods, providing one of the first marketplaces for local and organic farmers in the region. Jeanne continued her mission of public education and environmental justice throughout a 40-year career that culminated in her retirement from the U.S. Geological Survey in 2009. She then turned her talents toward grassroots advocacy, building bridges between scientific knowledge and community action.

In 2018, Jeanne co-founded MCNA in response to a proposed concentrated animal feeding operation near Tipton, MO. As president and outreach coordinator, she led efforts that helped halt that proposal and created a unique, citizen-focused website to guide and empower others. Even as her health declined, and retiring from MCNA in 2023, Jeanne remained active in researching topics and helping to write public comments to the Department of Natural Resources, regarding policy that affected air and water quality. She expressed the wish that others continue to care for the MCNA website, a reflection of her commitment to community-based education and advocacy.

Jeanne is survived by her husband Mark Bogue, her brother John Edward Heuser, her niece Jessica Goodenough Sanseverino, and her nephews Thomas and James Goodenough Heuser. In Jeanne’s memory, supporters are encouraged to donate to MCNA or "show up" for the causes she held dear: clean air, clean water, and a livable future for all.

MCNA called for a moritorium on construction and permitting of CAFOs in Southwest Missouri until the export only clause in Form W for CAFO waste is changed. . The area in Lawrence and Newton Counties has karst topography with shallow soil, sinkholes, springs and losing streams. It is imperative that DNR track all waste given or sold to third parties in sensitive areas such as Southwest Missouri. Third parties applying Class 1 CAFO waste would be required to utilize a nutrient management plan outlined in the University of Missouri Extension Nutrient Management Technical Manual. MCNA's public comment follows.

Senate Bill 82, establishes rules on the exportation of water out of Missouri (right now there are none) Missouri's water is one of our most precious and vital resources, and it should be protected from exportation and exploitation. States without a regulatory framework for water exports have seen exploitation and degradation of their water resources, in some cases drastically lowering the water table and draining aquifers.

Please call or email the Missouri House Rules-Legislative Committee. Ask them to protect Missouri's most vital resource, our water, and support Senate Bill 82! . To find contact information for Rules-Legislative Committee....

Clean Water Commission
​SB 569 - The Missouri Clean Water Commission is a seven-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, which coordinates all aspects of water quality in the state. It implements federal Clean Water Law, permitting entities that are potential sources of pollution. The Commission is currently stacked with industry-connected individuals and not making decisions in the best interest of Missouri’s people and water. SB 569 creates balanced representation of interests by reinstating the public majority on the Clean Water Commission (CWC). Return the public majority to our Clean Water Commission. 

To take action to support SB 569...

Senate Bill 14, the Corporate Pesticide Protection Bill, will be debated on the Senate floor Monday. Please Call and Email your senator today. Read more to locate your senator's contact information

Nothing justifies the skyrocketing egg prices — not even the avian flu.

Egg prices have reached record highs, yet egg production has remained relatively stable, never dropping below per capita consumption. And a dozen eggs costs only $0.74 to produce today. 

Senate Bill 14  was passed out of the Senate Ag Committee. If passed by the full Senate and House, SB 14 would severely limit the ability of farmers and other users of chemical products to sue multinational and foreign chemical companies from harm caused by their products. To take action to oppose SB 14 read more.

The Missouri Legislature is in session from January to May, and MCNA is tracking potentially damaging legislation relating to pesticides. House Bill 544 has been filed, and it proposes pesticide immunity for multinational corporations. Watch for action alerts regarding this piece of legislation.

 MCNA prepared a public comment on the draft Regulatory Impact Report for 10 CSR 20-6.015. MCNA's comment reflected the following concerns: Groundwater is a major source of drinking water supply for both people and livestock, we are concerned about possible contamination in public and private wells, waters of the state and soil. Groundwater contamination would have dire consequences for public health, livestock and Missouri’s natural resources. Click read more to find MCNA's comment.

MCNA is preparing a public comment on the Regulatory Impact Report report (RIR) for proposed revisions to 10 CSR 20-6.015 No-Discharge Operations and Land Application Requirements. It is available for public review and comment until Nov. 5, 2024. An RIR is required at the beginning of the rulemaking process to document the environmental and economic costs and benefits associated with the proposed rule changes.

MCNA provided a public comment opposing the MDNR proposed rule change to 10 CSR 20-8.200. The change would allow Alternative Design Requirements for construction or modification of earthen basins and lagoons holding wastewater without providing an opportunity for public comment.

The DNR agreed with MCNA's belief that public comments should be part of approving Alternative Design Requirements and included it in the revised rule. The Missouri Clean Water Commission (CWC) approved the changes on October 9, 2024. Click on green button to read MCNA's public comment.

MCNA is collaborating with others to submit public comments on the Land Application Management Plan (LAMP) and Industrial Nutrient Management Technical Standard (INMTS) documents required by the passage of House Bill (HB) 2134 & 1956. These documents will include procedures that must be followed when applying industrial sludge and wastewater to farmland so that surface and groundwater are protected.

Governor Parson has signed HB 2134 & 1956 into law, protecting Missouri waterways and safeguarding the health of Missourians by regulating sludge storage and land application. This victory is a testament to the relentless advocacy or our communities-let's keep up the fight to protect our precious resources!

A signing ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9 at the Missouri Capitol. This bill gives DNR the authority to regulate and permit the land application of sludge and industrial food processing residuals.

Support SB 1419 and HB2853. It takes just 1 minute to send a message to our state senators and representatives.

Jeanne Heuser and Susan Williams submitted public comments to DNR on HydroAg Environmental, LLC draft permit. HydroAg is an Arkansas based company proposing to spread industrial food processing residuals and wastewater on Missouri farmland in Southwest Missouri. The public comment is linked below

• Pass SB 912 that lowers the cap on acres available for foreign corporate ownership to 0% and eliminates the W-9 loophole language, which allows foreign interest to bypass reporting.  
• This is a commonsense issue that Missourians support to protect our farmland, food security, and national security.
• Missourians are watching. They need to be on the right side of history. And, thank you!
• "Read More" for contact information for Veterans Committee Members

Reed Environmental LLC requested a permit to land apply Wastewater Treatment Plant wastes, known as BIOSOLIDS, in Vernon and Barton counties. MCNA submitted a Public Comment to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on March 25, 2024 about this situation. Especially concerning to MCNA is the area selected for land application already has impaired waters. Additional wastes applied in this "wasteshed" could aggravate the already damaged waterways.

Endangers Missouri Groundwater. Read Bill text here.

This bill proposes to remove "non-point source pollution" from the definition of "water contaminant source" in the Missouri Clean Water Law.

Call & email members of the House Conservation & Natural Resources Committee TODAY!
Tell them to protect Missouri’s rural communities and water—
Vote NO on House Bill 2561!.

Use the following information to learn about the 2024 bills up for debate.

1. Stream Teams United Tracking System
2. Missouri Coalition for the Environment Tracking System
3. Sierra Club Position Papers

Let the Missouri State Legislature know you want clean water. 

Help stop damaging legislation proposed in 2024 - HB 1691 and SB 981. Find more information on these bills and how to make your voice heard...

TMDL Public Notice Period Extended from Feb. 5 to March 7, 2024

On November 29, 2023, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources sent a letter to Denali Water Solutions informing the company to cease all land application until a proper permit is authorized.

Read MDNR's Denali Fact Sheet

A new group, Stop Land Use Damaging our Ground and Environment (SLUDGE), an LLC dedicated to fighting Denali Water Solutions' practices of storing and land-applying its waste in their Southwest Missouri neighborhood close to Fairview had their first meeting on November 10, 2023.

Click here for SLUDGE Website

On September 22, 2023, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) requested more information from Missouri Prime Beef to determine if the company should be allowed to release waste directly into the Pomme de Terre River. Link here to DNR's letter

Obviously, the company's response was unsuccessful. On November 7, MDNR provided a notice about denying the permit. Click here to Access Draft Notice

It's not over yet! More action is needed:

• Public Comment Period: November 7, 2023 to January 8, 2024
• Public Meetings: Dec. 12 and 19 (virtual only), and January 6, 2024 (in person only).

MCNA submitted the Public Comment to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on August 20,2023. Click here to read the public comment.

The EATS Act, opposed by 38 U.S. farm groups, would be disastrous for America’s family farmers and consumers — and great news for Big Ag

Sign the Petition to Congress and Join the Movement to Defeat the EATS Act!

Missouri Independent overview of where the Farm Bill stands in September, 2023

MCNA submitted the Public Comment to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on June 26, 2023. Click here to read the public comment.

Watch here for ongoing updates on the Farm Bill Review with its billions of dollars (potentially $7.5B or $7,500,000,000) for U.S. agriculture and nutrition systems being debated in Congress. Continue reading...

View Webinar from June 7:

View Webinar from May 31, 2023

Missouri 2023 Legislative Results

Click HERE for info from the MO Coalition from the Environment

Click HERE for info from the Missouri Rural Crisis Center 

The following organizations offer excellent bill tracking information:  

• Stream Teams United
• Missouri Coalition for the Environment
• Missouri Sierra Club
• Sierra Club Bill Position Papers 

Senate version of HB 903 would put the amount of future farmland foreign corporations can own at 0% and close the W-9 loophole that allows land to be purchased by foreign entities and bypass reporting.

Please contact your representative to support the Senate version of HB903 when it comes to a vote on the House floor.

HB631  provides for the necessary renewal of the DNR fee structure for it's operations. The Senate added a clause to prevent DNR from enforcing "nonpoint source" pollution law.  Tht would eliminate much of the rules to protect the public from CAFO pollution and larger water issues . It would likely cost DNR $4million or more in federal funds and risks and EPA takeover.

"Tell your senator to vote against  HB 631 unless the section ending DNR oversight of nonpoint source pollution is removed".

Look up your senator here  https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default