Strategic Issue 3.

Land available for productive use while providing for human health, safety and environmental protection
Protection and enhancement of Missouri's land resources is a broad goal that includes conserving agricultural land, dam safety, land survey and minimizing environmental impacts from mining activities. These initiatives protect human health and safety and help ensure that Missouri's land resources are available for everyone to use.

The Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Soil and Water Districts Commission, protects Missouri's valuable agricultural land and water quality through soil conservation. Sixty percent of Missouri's land is in agricultural production. To date, 68,662,914 million tons of soil have been saved through conservation efforts. The resource and environmental issues impacting agricultural land management have evolved from the more traditional, single-problem issues, such as soil erosion, to more complex environmental issues, such as agricultural nonpoint-source pollution control, fertilizer and pesticide management, biodiversity and urban growth.

The Department of Natural Resources is responsible for minimizing the environmental and health-related impact of mining activities. Of the 170,060 acres of Missouri land disturbed by mining activities, 51,360 acres have been reclaimed or will be reclaimed. Of the remaining 118,700 acres, 55,400 acres of abandoned coal mine lands will not be reclaimed because they are naturally stabilized and are not a threat to public health or the environment. The remaining 63,300 acres are metallic and industrial mineral sites.

As of 1999, 29.7 percent of the original U.S. Public Land Survey corners have been restored. These corners are the basis of all land transactions and property descriptions. Continued efforts in remonumentation and preservation in historic and current survey records will decrease the cost of land surveys and increase the accuracy and reliability of property descriptions. Litigation about property boundaries should decrease as more and more corners are restored. This is becoming much more important with the increase in land values and the need to know the accurate location of property boundaries.

Through the efforts of the department, there have been no failures of regulated dams in recent years. Our objective is to increase the number of regulated dams in compliance with dam safety standards to 100 percent by 2005. These construction standards were implemented to protect downstream residents and property owners from loss of life and property damage.

Bedrock and surficial material geologic mapping was recently completed in the parts of Ripley, Butler and Stoddard counties. This basic geologic information will be used to prepare maps evaluating the seismic risk potential in that area. The department is now conducting geologic mapping in portions of Jefferson, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties, an area of the state undergoing intense urbanization and development. It also will be applied to all waste disposal or remediation efforts in these counties and toward the protection of potable aquifiers.

The entire state of Missouri will have all its soils mapped by 2005, a culmination of more than 50 years of work. The geologic and soil information collected will assist in the responsible development of the counties by private industries, county and regional planning agencies and governmental regulatory programs.

Responsible management of solid and hazardous wastes
Improper processing and disposal of solid wastes can cause health and environmental problems, such as the transmission of disease, groundwater and surface-water pollution and air pollution. Solid waste includes garbage, infectious medical waste, waste tires, construction and demolition waste and industrial and commercial waste.

Managing solid waste is a challenge because of the increasing amount of waste being generated by households and businesses. Each Missourian disposes of approximately 1.12 tons of solid waste annually; a 12 percent increase during the last three years. Even with a slowly increased rate of disposal, Missouri is among the top states in the nation for reducing waste. However, our population and economic base continue to grow. Along with this growth comes more solid waste.

When mismanaged, hazardous waste poses a threat to human health and the environment. The Department of Natural Resources regulates the management of hazardous waste from generation to cleanup. The department registers all hazardous waste generators in Missouri and out-of-state generators that import hazardous waste into Missouri; inspects various hazardous waste industries and monitors compliance with the "cradle-to-grave" requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

The department has the responsibility to pursue the cleanup of abandoned sites contaminated with hazardous wastes throughout Missouri. The person or company responsible for the contamination conducts most cleanups, although federal and state funds are used for some sites where no responsible party has been determined. MoDNR also provides oversight for the cleanup of hazardous waste from facilities, such as Weldon Spring, currently or previously owned by the federal government. The department works with individuals and businesses that want to voluntarily clean up properties contaminated with hazardous wastes. This initiative is designed to return abandoned and contaminated properties, or brownfields, to productive use.

Decision making for the protection of Missouri's land resources
MoDNR continuously evaluates the needs of our customers to ensure we are producing the best products in the formats desired. Our constituents increasingly demand access to data and services through the electronic media, which includes the Internet. Continuously upgrading current procedures as well as transferring historical documents to an electronic format is an ongoing effort.

Protect and enhance Missouri's land resourcesOutcome A.
Improved protection of Missouri's land resources (Show-Me Result) to be available for productive use while providing for human health, safety and protection of the environment

Outcome Measures

  • Cumulative tons of soil saved.
  • Percent of land previously disturbed by mining activities that has been reclaimed
  • Percent of original land survey corners restored in Missouri
  • Value of life and property protected through dam regulations*
    (*At this time not measured)

Issue 3 Outcome A1 chart.

Issue 3 Outcome A1 factoid.

Objective 1

Increase the percentage of Missouri agriculture land eroding at less than "T" (i.e., it is tolerable) from 65 percent in 1982 to 95 percent by 2006.

Objective Measure

Percent of agricultural land eroding at the rate which is tolerable ("T")

Strategies

  • Continue partnerships with agencies involved in soil conservation. Expand the department's role in providing technical assistance for soil conservation, and promote land management practices that maximize soil protection.
  • Collect and manage data related to soil conservation efforts so that a central source of information is available to all interested parties via the Internet.
  • Provide training for Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors and employees to maximize conservation efforts.
  • Improve the operational accountability through continued enhancement of the Soil and Water Conservation District accounting systems and continuation of audits for the districts to maximize soil conservation efforts.
  • Continue to provide various types of financial assistance to construct and implement soil conservation measures including grants and loans.
  • Maintain key soil conservation programs.
  • Complete the follow-up work for the initial inventory of soils for all of Missouri, update soils information based on land resource areas and plan for future soil survey work describing the character and capability of the soil to aid in sustainable land-use decisions.
  • Maintain or increase the number of educational events promoting soil conservation by soil and water conservation districts.

Objective 2

Increase the acreage of mined land returned to productive use from 89,724 acres in 2000 to 93,822 acres by 2004.

Objective Measure

Acres of mined land returned to productive use

Strategies

  • Work with the regulated community to implement current practices, including engineering, maintenance and revegetation and adaptive reuse in reclamation practices.
  • Reclaim seven abandoned mine land projects.
  • Perform liability releases on lands permitted for surface coal mining and industrial minerals mining.
  • Annually reclaim four bond forfeiture projects.
  • Ensure that active mines in Missouri are properly managed through permitting, inspection and enforcement efforts. When necessary and appropriate for protection of our natural resources, promulgate new rules.
  • Improve staff training to develop better knowledge of health, safety and environmental problems found on abandoned mine lands.
  • Provide technical assistance and knowledge of mining and mine reclamation to landowners, operators and citizens.
  • Collect and manage data related to surface mining and reclamation efforts so that a central source of information is available to all interested parties.
  • Perform inspections of all mining sites as required by law or policy.
  • Investigate complaints from citizens concerning active mining.
  • Integrate new technologies to assist staff in the performance of their duties.
  • Assist the Division of State Parks in the remediation of erosion losses from St. Joe State Park to eliminate lead migration off site.

Objective 3

Increase the number of United States Public Land Survey corners restored, re-established, monumented and registered in Missouri by 1,100 annually (cadastral survey).

Objective Measure

Number of U.S. Public Land Survey corners registered annually

Strategies

  • Contact and encourage county commissions to participate in the County Surveyor Coop Remonumentation Program.
  • Meet private surveyors in the Missouri Association of Professional Surveyors to promote corner monumentation and filing.

Objective 4

Increase the number of new Geographic Reference System monuments and counties with Geographic Reference Systems as follows (geodetic survey):

  • Three countywide Geographic Reference System Projects per year.
  • Geographic Reference System monuments established statewide by 50 monuments per year.

Objective Measures

  • Number of counties with Geographic Reference Systems
  • Number of Geographic Reference system monuments

Strategy

Meet with county assessors and municipal government agencies to promote the densification of Geographic Reference System control for mapping, Geographic Information System, and placing of State Plane Coordinates on corners of the United States Public Land Survey.

Objective 5

Increase compliance of registered dams with dam-safety standards from 95.4 percent to 100 percent by 2005.

Objective Measure

Percent compliance of regulated dams

Strategies

  • In order to determine the value of life and property protected through dam regulations (outcome above), inundation maps for those areas downstream from dams must be developed. Current capabilities allow for one inundation map to be completed per year. To effectively measure this public benefit, inundation maps must be completed on all dams that significantly protect life and property downstream.
  • Inspect existing dams that do not have valid registration permits.
  • Continue to perform permit renewal inspections at no cost to the dam owner. Class 1 dams will be inspected every two years; Class 2 dams every three years and Class 3 dams every five years.
  • Work with representatives from the Attorney General's Office to resolve enforcement referrals.
  • Develop law that applies to the safety of dams less than 35 feet (currently unregulated) in height when the public is, or potentially could be, at risk.
  • Expand efforts in dam or reservoir sitings to incorporate geologic site evaluations.
  • Develop a comprehensive and long-range program for state parks and historic sites to comply with environmental regulations and codes for public providers including dam stabilization and repair.
  • Conduct training courses for dam owners around the state on how to prepare emergency-action plans.
  • Develop a sustaining funding source and establish a procedure to provide funding in times of a dam-related emergency.

Objective 6

Increase the availability and usability of geologic information as it relates to land resources.

Objective Measures

  • Decreased response time to requests for information
  • Percent of state evaluated for earthquake and geologic hazards
  • Percent of state covered with mineral and energy evaluations
  • Percent of environmental site assessments utilizing Geographic Information System databases

Strategies

  • Conduct geologic investigations to locate and identify groundwater recharge areas.
  • Increase efforts to identify losing and gaining streams to assist in environmental and geologic site assessments.
  • Increase efforts to locate and map sinkholes/other karst features.
  • Increase the availability of information and technical assistance on mineral resources.
  • Expand efforts to acquire and digitize underground mine maps for entry into the Mine Map Repository in accordance with the Mine Map Repository Act.
  • Develop a map detailing landslide potential statewide for use during land development.
  • Continue and expand earthquake risk assessment mapping.
  • Evaluate staffing needs to accelerate hazard mapping to comply with the Geologic Hazards Bill.
  • Increase the amount of geologic information stored in Geographic Information System databases to provide in a format that is easily accessible and applicable in land-use decisions.

Objective 7

Increase annual geologic and soils mapping of the state's land resources as follows:

  • Surficial material geologic maps from 10 to 20 (7.5 minute quadrangle maps) by 2005.
  • Bedrock geologic mapping from 10 to 20 (for 7.5 minute quadrangle maps) by 2005.
  • Geologic hazard mapping (includes environmental geology sensitivity mapping) from 1 to 2 (30 x 60 quadrangles) by 2005.
  • Soil mapping completed or updated from 500,000 acres in 2002 to 4 million acres by 2008.

Objective Measures

  • Number of current surficial material, bedrock geology and geologic hazard maps
  • Number of rock drill cores acquired and permanently stored for public use
  • Footage of core and drill cuttings described and entered into a database for public use
  • Acres of soil mapped

Strategies

  • Consider alternative methods of making geologic maps available to the public.
  • Develop comprehensive statewide bedrock and surficial materials mapping program.
  • Solicit funding from general revenue and outside sources for statewide geologic mapping and implement additional mapping recommended by the State Geologic Mapping Committee.
  • Acquire and permanently store for public use core and drill cuttings from areas where limited information is available.
  • Increase the footage of rock drill core and drill cuttings described for public use.
  • Improve the efficiency of describing core and cuttings by developing voice recognition, direct to database data entry techniques.
  • Increase the amount of geologic mapping information accessible for Geographic Information System use.
  • Complete the initial mapping of soils for all of Missouri and plan and implement future soil survey work describing the character and capability of the soil to aid in sustainable land-use decisions.
  • Improve the availability of soil survey information.

Outcome B.
Improved protection of Missouri's land resources (Show-Me Result) through environmentally responsible management of solid and hazardous waste

Outcome Measures

  • Per capita disposal rate for solid waste
  • Incidence of improperly disposed of solid waste
  • Number of hazardous-material sites remediated and returned to productive use (annually)
  • Percent of facilities meeting hazardous waste standards
  • Amount of hazardous waste generated
  • Proportion of hazardous waste recycled, used for energy recovery, or reused relative to the amount generated
  • Percentage of all tanks in compliance with the law and regulations

Issue 3 Outcome B1 factoid.

Objective 1

By 2004, maximize the amount of solid waste recovered.

Objective Measures

  • Tons of demolition and construction, industrial and commercial and food waste diverted from landfills and recycled
  • Tonnage of waste tires reused beneficially
  • Tonnage of solid waste going to landfills

Strategies

  • Develop and promote feasible alternatives to the disposal of wastes in landfills.
  • Promote volumetric or unit-based pricing mechanisms that account for the full cost of solid waste disposal.
  • Encourage food-waste composting, reuse of construction and demolition waste and commercial and industrial waste reduction to address the largest portion, by weight, of waste that is disposed in landfills.
  • Provide financial assistance for projects which result in a decrease in the amount of materials disposed of and an increase in the amount reused.
  • Within the state park system, convert 50 percent of the facilities to a program where guests carry out their own trash to reduce trash-collection costs and to increase visitor awareness of waste reduction and the benefits that can be gained through recycling programs by 2003.
  • Encourage the purchase and use of recycled products within the state park system such as paper, oil, paint and stains, recycled plastic lumber and trash receptacles showcasing their benefits toward use and durability when possible.
  • Promote landfill methods that facilitate future waste recovery.
  • Consult with industry regarding the economic benefit of practices that comply with environmental laws.
  • Assist businesses using recovered waste to make products.
  • Assist businesses with their ongoing solid-waste reduction or recycling programs.
  • Promote active recycling and waste-reduction programs.
  • Assist businesses beneficially reusing waste tires.
  • Promote municipal integrated solid-waste systems.

Objective 2

By 2004, minimize the amount of improperly disposed solid waste.

Objective Measures

  • Number of illegal solid-waste dumps cleaned up (including tires)
  • Number of illegal dumps cleaned up (including tires)

Strategies

  • Develop and promote economical and convenient solid-waste management services accessible to all Missourians.
  • Clean up illegal waste sites, and promote local programs that discourage illegal dumping in order to prevent future cleanups of such sites.
  • Work with counties and cities with active programs to discourage illegal dumping.

Objective 3

By 2004, maximize compliance of solid-waste disposal areas.

Objective Measures

  • Percent of landfills meeting requirements of Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
  • Number of stream miles contaminated due to leachate discharges from landfills
  • Number of incidences of unresolved methane gas migration problems at landfills

Issue 3 Outcome B1 chart.

Strategies

  • Ensure that Missouri landfills meet solid-waste rules and laws, through permitting, inspection and enforcement efforts. When necessary and appropriate for protection of our natural resources, promulgate new rules.
  • Promote public awareness and community involvement in the locating of landfills through meetings held during the initial permitting process. This provides an opportunity and greater role for groups or individuals that may be potentially impacted by a landfill in their area.
  • Assist landfills with uncorrected methane gas migration problems to identify and remediate occurrences.
  • Assist landfills to ensure proper installation of groundwater monitoring systems to verify that landfills are not polluting groundwater.
  • Coordinate with the Division of Geology and Land Survey to ensure that landfills are designed and constructed appropriately.

Objective 4

Remediate in excess of 500 sites contaminated by hazardous materials to a level appropriate for new development between fiscal year 1998 and fiscal year 2004.

Objective Measure

Number of hazardous waste sites remediated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Voluntary Cleanup Program.

Strategies

  • Collaborate with the Environmental Protection Agency to administer Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act in Missouri.
  • Provide independent sampling and oversight of cleanups at current and formerly used U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Energy sites to minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment.
  • Administer the corrective action program for facilities subject to the corrective action requirements of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to investigate and remediate a pre-existing hazardous waste problem.
  • Administer the state Registry of Abandoned or Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites.
  • Use the Cleanup Levels for Missouri document to facilitate risk-based cleanups and appropriate reuse of property which results in economic development and protection of human health and the environment.
  • Work with landowners, developers and others to voluntarily remediate property through the Voluntary Cleanup Program and the Superfund Cooperative Program.
  • Assist the Division of State Parks in remediation of park lands contaminated by hazardous waste (upon discovery).
  • Provide sampling and assessment for Division of State Park facilities as a formalized inclusion with the Division of Environmental Quality-Environmental Services Program work plan to provide services up to 10 sites per year (as needed).

Objective 5

Maximize the number of hazardous waste facilities that are properly managed.

Objective Measures

Percentage of hazardous waste facilities in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Strategies

  • Ensure that hazardous waste in Missouri is properly managed from cradle to grave through permitting, inspection and enforcement efforts. When necessary and appropriate for environmental protection, promulgate new rules.
  • Regional offices will conduct a limited number of outreach inspections to educate and inform conditionally exempt and small-quantity hazardous waste generators on the proper management of hazardous waste.
  • License and inspect hazardous waste transporters.
  • Conference, conciliation and persuasion will be used to encourage violators to return to compliance. If necessary, enforcement will be used to compel compliance, deter potential violators and eliminate any economic advantage gained with noncompliance.
  • Maintain and pursue appropriate delegation and authorization to encourage proper management of hazardous waste.
  • Close hazardous waste management units that no longer need to operate under a permit.
  • Work with industry to clean up existing contamination at hazardous waste facilities.
  • Collect and manage data related to hazardous waste so that a central source of information is available to all interested parties.
  • Promote use of Environmental Management Systems at hazardous waste facilities.

Objective 6

Maintain proper management of 100 percent of the hazardous substance incidents reported through the MoDNR's 24-hour Environmental Emergency Response telephone line.

Objective Measures

  • Number of hazardous substance incidents reported
  • Number of incidents properly managed which required an on-site Environmental Emergency Response
  • Number of incidents properly managed which did not require an on-site Environmental Emergency Response

Strategies

  • Operate the state's 24-hour Environmental Emergency Response telephone line with technically qualified staff.
  • Maintain Environmental Emergency Response team readiness through training, equipment maintenance and emergency planning.
  • Respond to hazardous substance releases as needed.
  • Provide technical advice to ensure the proper cleanup of any hazardous substance releases.

Objective 7

Increase the number of drug lab collection stations established with local law enforcement from 13 to 21 by the year 2003.

Objective Measures

  • Number of collection stations established
  • Number of clandestine drug labs processed

Strategies

  • Facilitate the establishment of drug lab collection stations.
  • Provide training for proper packaging and transport of drug lab materials to collection station.
  • Provide training for the proper management and operation of collection stations.
  • Arrange for processing of materials and off-site disposal, if necessary.

Objective 8

Reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated (relative to industrial activity) from an average of 95 metric tons per generator to 85 metric tons per generator by fiscal year 2004.

Objective Measures

  • Average amount of hazardous waste generated per generator
  • Amount of hazardous waste recycled or reused
  • Amount of hazardous waste treated by thermal recovery

Strategies

  • Work with businesses and the public to promote pollution-prevention activities in the following order: reduction, reuse, recycle, thermal recovery and treatment.
  • Consult with industry regarding the economic benefit of practices that reduce pollution.
  • Require pollution-prevention activities through our inspection, enforcement and permitting activities.
  • Certify for resource recovery purposes, facilities that recycle hazardous waste.

Objective 9

Increase the percentage of tank sites remediated as follows:

  • All underground storage tank release sites remediated from 75 percent fiscal year 2000 to 80 percent by fiscal year 2004.
  • Above ground storage tank release sites remediated from 13 percent in fiscal year 2000 to 38 percent by fiscal year 2004.

Objective Measures

  • Number of new releases as a percentage of total active tanks
  • Percentage of contaminated tank sites remediated

Strategies

  • Remediate contaminated tank sites through coordination with the Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund and utilization of the federal Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.
  • Conduct regulatory oversight to include registering sites, field inspections and enforcement at sites failing to comply with existing cleanup and remediation requirements and standards.
  • Prevent groundwater contamination by ensuring that gasoline containing methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is stored only in tanks meeting EPA's 1998 tank upgrade standards, especially in the St. Louis ozone nonattainment area.
  • Increase underground storage tank inspections in areas known to have the heaviest concentration of MTBE fuels being delivered.
  • Develop a comprehensive and long-range program for state parks and historic sites to comply with environmental regulations and codes for public providers including removal of underground storage tanks.

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