Regulatory Changes

In 2003, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to require that state meet its obligations to keep its water quality regulations updated (some were over 20 years behind) and in compliance with the Clean Water Act.

The Coalition's 2004 settlement of the suit with EPA and consent decree required the state to make substantial regulatory and policy changes. These changes are now in various stages of formulation and implementation, with DNR-led citizen/stakeholder workgroups now in the process of developing some policies, while others, such as the requirement to protect streams for recreational use, have been already been codified and put into practice (although the new recreational use regulation--and its implementation--is still under review by EPA).

Some of the key regulatory issues brought forward by the suit, with policies and new water quality rules currently in development, include:

Unclassified waters - Extending recreational use and aquatic life protections to all of the streams in the state, including the over 75% that are "unclassified."

Antidegradation - Keeping clean water and making sure no water is degraded below state standards for any pollutant.

Nutrient standards - Setting limits on the phosphorus and nitrogen that can cause algae blooms, leading to algae die-offs, depleted oxygen levels in the water, and the loss of fish and other aquatic life.

Click on the headings above to learn more about these issues and find out where policy development stands.