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 The Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area is located in one of the largest migratory bird flyways. Over one-third of North America's migratory birds fly through this area each year. Columbia Bottoms also sits on a floodplain. Nestled just south of the Missouri River at its meeting place with the Mississippi, the area attracts wildlife and outdoor adventurers alike. But now St. Louis County would like to place a casino just south of the conservation area.
The proposed development would raise the level of 377 acres of the current floodplain by 30 ft to accommodate a large casino, 8000 parking spaces and a golf course. It has not been said where the soil needed to elevate the land will come from. Building on the floodplain will cause hundreds of thousands of gallons of water polluted with motor oil, fertilizers and pesticides to runoff the property and threaten the adjacent sensitive wetland habitat that the Department of Conservation has spent $25 million dollars to protect and restore.
The proposed casino would also have a major impact on the health and welfare of migratory birds like bald eagles. Despite assurance from the casino's developers that they will try to reduce their environmental impact, if the complex is built, the developer will relinquish all responsibility for its operation and maintenance. North County Development, LLC will have no control over future operators, and therefore, cannot make any guarantees that the new operator will follow environmental laws.
Many supporters of the project say the casino will create new jobs. While some temporary jobs may be created during construction, very few will be produced by the operation of the casino. Missouri limits the number of gambling licenses that it allows to circulate. Currently all of the licenses are in use. This means that if the casino is built, in order to open, another casino will have to move to the complex or more licenses will have to be created. If another casino relocates to the complex, new jobs will not be created.
The proposed Riverview Casino complex is an extremely environmentally damaging project, is opposed by the majority of residents who live near the project area and is a precarious economic gamble because there is no guarantee that the casino, if built, would ever even open. It is the responsibility of St. Louis County and Missouri residents to make sure their local decision-makers say "no" to poorly-designed projects like this one.
Click Here to Say NO to the Casino
You can also help out by giving your county council person a call or writing a letter. Mailing addresses, email information and phone numbers for county council people are available at the County Council website. Here is a sample letter (Word document) you could send out.
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