Environmental Workgroups and Forums

Air Program Advisory Forum

The Air Pollution Control Program continues to host the Air Program Advisory Forum, a stakeholder workgroup comprised of members from industry, environmental groups, other agencies, department employees and consultants. This forum allows the program to keep the channels of communication open between stakeholders and staff. Anyone interested is invited to participate. In 2008, the forum met five times and worked on several issues including proposed changes to the emission fee rule, alternative funding sources for the program and other regulations. In addition, the department used the forum to communicate the status of ongoing projects such as the department’s electronic permitting project, regulatory changes that affect the power industry, new ozone and lead standards and New Source Review Reform.

Clean Water Advisory Workgroups

View a list of the Water Protection Forum Advisory groups.  Each link has information specific to the group's activities. More...

Electronics Recovery Rulemaking Workgroup

Passed and signed into law in 2008, Senate Bill 720 requires computer manufacturers who sell their products in Missouri to have a recovery plan that specifies how they will provide free collection for consumer and home business computers. The department was given a deadline of July 1, 2009, a short time frame, to adopt rules to implement the bill. The Hazardous Waste Program and the Solid Waste Management Program promptly began a dialog with the established E-scrap stakeholder workgroup, and formed the Electronics Recovery Rulemaking Workgroup to begin the rulemaking process. The group consists of computer manufacturers, electronic recyclers, retailers and government representatives from the local, state and national levels to begin the rulemaking process. After just three meetings in three months, the Electronics Recovery Rulemaking Workgroup has assisted the department prepare a draft rule for Missouri. As the draft rule language is finalized, stakeholders will receive updates and be asked for additional input through a listserv maintained by the programs.

Enforcement and Compliance Assistance Listserv

The Enforcement and Compliance Assistance Listserv for Hazardous Waste Generators provides valuable information to hazardous waste generators on compliance issues, legislative updates and technical assistance in a clear manner. The broadcast e-mail gives the department an opportunity to stay in contact with hazardous waste generators and permitted facilities and let them know about changes or additions to federal or state regulations, provide technical assistance and explain the inspection process. The broadcast e-mail is geared to keep all facilities informed so they can meet or exceed the environmental requirements and help better serve Missouri citizens while protecting the environment. The listserv is sent out once a month and provides information specific to Missouri regulations.

Hazardous Waste Forum

The Hazardous Waste Forum's mission is to identify, evaluate and develop ways to better protect human health and the environment. The stakeholder group includes representatives from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, industry, consultants, environmental groups and other regulatory agencies. The program has held stakeholder meetings with attendance reaching well above 100 stakeholders. The meetings, often including topics recommended by stakeholders, provide an opportunity for stakeholders to evaluate and recommend opportunities and changes to law, regulations and department programs and procedures.

Health Profile Workgroup

Coordinated between the Department of Natural Resources’ Hazardous Waste Program and the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Health Profile Workgroup centers on health profile requirements at certain types of hazardous waste facilities. The workgroup is looking to see if current regulations accurately determine the exposed population and achieve the goals originally envisioned when the legislature passed the law.

The workgroup members include representatives from facilities where health profiles are required, members of both departments and other environmental businesses and groups. The workgroup is currently working toward writing proposed changes to the health profile regulations and evaluating short, medium and long term approaches to resolving the problems with health profile requirements.

Missouri Risk-Based Corrective Action

The Hazardous Waste Program is nearing completion of two rulemaking efforts: a set of rules to implement a risk-based corrective action process for cleanup of contaminated petroleum storage tank sites and a single rule to implement risk-based corrective action at all other contaminated sites. For nearly 10 years, the department has hosted numerous meetings with stakeholders to help develop risk-based corrective action guidance documents and implement rules. In 2008, with the input from the Risk-Based Remediation Rule Workgroup, the department revised its risk-based corrective action guidance for tank sites. The revised guidance forms the basis of the proposed tanks risk-based corrective action rules. The department subsequently hosted a well attended workshop designed to educate and update stakeholders on the status of the tanks and departmental rules and revisions to the tanks guidance document. The department has updated and asked stakeholders for input regarding the rules on several occasions using an e-mail list of hundreds of stakeholders. The department intends to file the departmental and tanks risk-based corrective action rules with the Secretary of State’s Office in early 2009. According to that schedule, the departmental rule will be effective in September and the tanks rule will be effective in October 2009.

Solid Waste Management Forum

The Solid Waste Management Program has established an online forum, or bulletin board, for discussion and development of proposed technical bulletins and guidance documents on solid waste topics.  The target stakeholder audience is primarily landfill owners and their consultants. The program will notify users by e-mail as topics are developed and placed on the Internet website.  However, links to the information will be available to any interested party on the web.  In the near future, the program intends to address other issues such as illegal dumping, scrap tires, and composting.  Staff is preparing draft bulletins on several topics and anticipates having the forum online by the end of 2008.  It should allow the program to develop technical bulletins quickly, and with the input of the regulated community.  In turn this will lead to better quality technical submittals and faster staff review times.

Vapor Recovery Workgroup

The department recently received approval to amend Missouri’s Vapor Recovery Rules 10 CSR 10-2.260 and 10 CSR 10-5.220. These regulations will be amended to improve clarity and correct perceived contradictions to assist program and regional staff as they inspect gasoline dispensing facilities in the state. The Air Program has coordinated a Vapor Recovery Workgroup to review these regulations, discuss improvements and corrections and propose possible solutions. This workgroup met five times in 2008 with a final meeting planned in January 2009.

Water Protection Forum

The Water Protection Forum was initiated in May 2005 as a means to involve a variety of individuals in water quality policy discussions.  A wide diversity of interests is represented in the forum, including agriculture, municipalities, industry, environmental groups, consultants, attorneys and others.  The department must always consider how policy issues affect regulated entities and the public and this is a means to solicit input from those affected interests.