Commission Considers New Guidelines for Classifying Impaired Waterways

Tomorrow, the Missouri Clean Water Commission is expected to take action on a proposal that sets out new guidelines for identifying bodies of water that need to be on the impaired waters list. KSMU's Missy Shelton reports.

Tomorrow, the Missouri Clean Water Commission is expected to take action on a proposal that sets out new guidelines for identifying bodies of water that need to be on the impaired waters list.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires each state to create a list of waters that are not suitable for fishing and swimming. The state of Missouri has not created a list since 2002.

Part of the hold up has been disagreement over the guidelines for developing the list.

Phil Schroeder is the head of the Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section, a part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

But environmental groups say the state's proposed guidelines are too lenient and would remove streams and other bodies of water from the impaired list without adequate data proving the water has improved.

Ken Midkiff is conservation chair of the Ozarks Chapter of the Sierra Club.

He served on the committee that helped develop the new guidelines that the state is proposing...Though he worked on the committee, he says he's not pleased with the guidelines that the Clean Water Commission will consider approving.

State officials say in some cases, there's no need to gather new data on an impaired stream as the state assess whether or not it is still impaired.

Phil Schroeder with the state's Water Quality Monitoring Section says information on some bodies of water will be good for several years.

Schroeder says the validity of the data is an important question because placing a body of water on the impaired list or keeping it on the list has financial implications for businesses and governmental bodies.

Environmental groups say they agree that there are consequences for businesses and local governments when nearby waterways are placed on the impaired waters list.

But Ken Midkiff with the Sierra Club Ozark Chapter says there's a reason for having consequences.

And Midkiff says environmental interests don't have to be at odds with business interests.

He says in Southwest Missouri where lakes and streams attract thousands of tourists each year, those interests are one in the same.

The Clean Water Commission will vote tomorrow on the proposed guidelines for placing waterways on the impaired waters list.

If the commission approves those guidelines, state officials say they hope to develop a new impaired waters list within a few months.