Photo Caption: MCE Member Cheryl Marcum testifies against seven proposed CAFOs in May 2025.
Credit: Marisa Frazier, Sierra Club.
Administrative advocacy is equally important as legislative advocacy in furthering MCE’s mission. Below is information about some of the key commissions whose decisions impact Missouri’s people and their environment. Each commission’s webpage outlines the frequency of their meetings, agendas for upcoming meetings, and how to attend (many you can attend virtually!).
As of May 2025, there are several vacant seats on these commissions and some are seats intended to represent the public of Missouri. For commissions to be most effective and balanced, seats representing members of the public must be filled. The Governor needs applicants to consider for these positions. To apply to sit on any Missouri board or commission, complete this application form and send to:
Governor Mike Kehoe
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102
E‐mail: boards@governor.mo.gov.
Mission: “The Missouri Clean Water Commission supervises the administration and enforcement of the Missouri Clean Water Law (Missouri Revised Statute Chapter 644, RSMo).” DNR, Missouri Clean Water Commission
| Number of seats | 7 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | Yes |
| Number of public seats minimum | 4 |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | Yes |
| Term length | 4 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 7 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 7 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | “Two members must be knowledgeable concerning the needs of agriculture, industry or mining and interested in protecting these needs in a manner consistent with the purposes of sections 644.006 to 644.141, RSMo. One member must be knowledgeable concerning the needs of publicly owned wastewater treatment works” 644.021, RSMo. |
| Political party seat limitations | Yes |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | 4 |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “All members shall be representative of the general interest of the public and shall have an interest in and knowledge of conservation and the effects and control of water contaminants.” “qualified by interest, education, training or experience to provide, assess and evaluate scientific and technical information concerning water quality, financial requirements and the effects of the promulgation of standards, rules and regulations.” 644.021. |
Mission: “To regulate investor-owned electric, natural gas, steam, water and sewer utilities in Missouri and to ensure that regulated utility services are safe, of the highest quality, and delivered to the consumer in a timely manner at just and reasonable rates.” Public Service Commission, https://boards.mo.gov/UserPages/Board.aspx?109
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | N/A |
| Term length | 6 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 5 |
| How many are legislators? | 2 (former) |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 5 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | “No person shall be eligible to appointment or shall hold the office of commissioner, or be appointed by the commission, or hold any office or position under the commission, who holds any official relation to any gas corporation, electrical corporation, telephone corporation, telegraph corporation, water corporation, heat and refrigerating corporation, sewer corporation, or other public service or public utility corporation or person subject to any of the provisions of this chapter, or who owns stocks or bonds therein, or who has any pecuniary interest therein.” 386.110 RSMo. |
| Political party seat limitations | N |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | N/A |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “Each commissioner, at the time of the commissioner’s appointment and qualification, shall be a resident of the state of Missouri, and shall have resided in the state for a period of at least five years next preceding the appointment and qualification, and shall also be a qualified voter therein and not less than twenty-five years of age.” 386.050 RSMo. |
Purpose: “Commissioners conduct hearings and issue decisions in cases involving a state agency and private citizen or private entity and also hear disputes in motor vehicle franchises . . . . The AHC has statutory authority in over 100 specified matters including state sales tax, professional licensing, medical marijuana licensing, Medicaid provider issues, due process cases under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), certain environmental matters, and has constitutional authority to hear medical marijuana license appeals.” About – AHC
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Number of vacant seats | Possibly 1 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | N/A |
| Term length | 6 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 5 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 5 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | N/A |
| Political party seat limitations | No |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | N/A |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “The commissioners shall be attorneys at law admitted to practice before the supreme court of Missouri, but shall not practice law during their term of office.” 621.015. |
Intent of Commission: “The discharge into the ambient air of air contaminants so as to cause or contribute to air pollution is contrary to the public policy of Missouri and in violation of this chapter. It is the intent and purpose of this chapter to maintain purity of the air resources of the state to protect the health, general welfare and physical property of the people, maximum employment and the full industrial development of the state. The commission shall seek the accomplishment of this objective through the prevention, abatement and control of air pollution by all practical and economically feasible methods.” RSMo Section 643.030
| Number of seats | 7 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | Yes |
| Term length | 4 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 7 |
| How many are legislators | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 7 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | “At least three of such members shall represent agricultural, industrial and labor interests, respectively.” 643.040. |
| Political party seat limitations | Y |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | 4 |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “All members shall be representative of the general interest of the public and shall have an interest in and knowledge of air conservation and the effects and control of air contaminants.” 643.040. |
Mission: “The commission works to assure that all public water systems provide safe and adequate drinking water to the public by promoting and protecting public water system.” Safe Drinking Water Commission, https://boards.mo.gov/UserPages/Board.aspx?112
| Number of seats | 9 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | Yes |
| Number of public seats minimum | 5 |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | Yes |
| Term length | 4 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 9 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 9 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | Four members must represent various sizes of public water systems, based on the population they serve. 1: serving a population of 75 or less 1: serving a population greater than 75 but not more than 2,500 1: serving a population greater than 2,500 and less than 100,000 1: serving a population of more than 100,000. |
| Political party seat limitations | No |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | N/A |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “All members of the commission shall be representative of the general interest of the public or of public water systems. “ “Four members shall be associated with the operation of public water systems, one of which shall be associated with a water system serving a population of seventy-five or less, one of which shall be associated with a water system serving a population greater than seventy-five but not more than two thousand five hundred, one of which shall be associated with a water system serving a population greater than two thousand five hundred and less than one hundred thousand, and one of which shall be associated with a water system serving a population of more than one hundred thousand; and five members shall represent the water consuming public. All members shall have demonstrated an interest and knowledge about water quality, and, to the greatest extent possible, the various associations representing water suppliers of the size classes referred to in this section shall be represented on the commission. All members shall be qualified by interest, education, training or experience to provide, assess and evaluate scientific and technical information concerning drinking water, financial requirements and the effects of the promulgation of standards, rules and regulations.” 640.105. |
Purpose: The commission encourages efforts to recycle, incinerate, properly dispose of or otherwise treat hazardous waste and adopts, modifies and repeals rules and regulations to implement and enforce the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law.
| Number of seats | 7 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | Yes |
| Term length | 4 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 7 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 7 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | “Four of the members, but no more than four, one for each interest, shall be knowledgeable of and may be employed in agriculture, the retail petroleum industry, the waste generating industry and the waste management industry.” 260.365. |
| Political party seat limitations | Yes |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | 4 |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “All members shall be representative of the general interest of the public and shall have an interest in and knowledge of waste management and the effects of improper waste management on health and the environment and shall serve in a manner consistent with the purposes of sections 260.350 to 260.430.” 260.365. |
Purpose: “The Missouri Mining Commission protects public health, safety and the environment from the adverse effects of mining and assures the beneficial restoration of mined lands. Established by Missouri Revised Statutes, section 444.520, RSMo, the commission is responsible for issuing mining permits and overseeing Missouri’s Abandoned Mine Land program.” (DNR)
| Number of seats | 8 |
| Number of vacant seats | 1 |
| Public seats required | Yes |
| Number of public seats minimum | 4 |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat | Yes |
| Term length | 4 years |
| How many are appointed by the governor? | 5 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 5 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | “not more than two can have a direct connection with the mining industry.” 444.520. |
| Political party seat limitations | Yes |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | 3 |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “five other persons selected from the general public who are residents of Missouri and who shall have an interest in and knowledge of conservation and land reclamation, and one of whom shall in addition have training and experience in surface mining, one of whom shall in addition have training and experience in subsurface mining, but not more than two can have a direct connection with the mining industry.” 444.520. |
Purpose: To further soil conservation practices on Missouri farms and maintain oversight of the soil and water districts. DNR, Missouri Soil and Water Districts Commission
| Number of seats | 10 (only 6 have voting power) |
| Number of vacant seats | 0 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat | N/A |
| Term length | 3 years |
| How many are appointed by governor? | 6 (farmer seats) |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 6 (farmer seats) |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | Six members must be farmers. Of these farmers, three farmers are to be from north of the Missouri River, three farmers are to be from south of the Missouri River, and only one member may be from any given state Senatorial district. The four Ex-officio members include the directors of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Department of Conservation and the dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. (Paraphrased from RSMo Section 278.080) |
| Political party seat limitations | Yes |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | 4 |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “Three of the farmer members shall reside in the portion of this state which is north of the Missouri River and three of the farmer members shall reside in the portion of this state which is south of the Missouri River. The membership shall be geographically dispersed with no more than one of the farmer members appointed from a state senatorial district.” “Each of the six farmer members shall be holding legal title to a farm, and shall be earning at least the principal part of the member’s livelihood from a farm, all at the time of appointment to the commission. The farmer members shall each be appointed for a period of three years.” 278.080. |
Purpose: “Advises the department about the effectiveness of its technical assistance program and challenges experienced by the solid waste management districts in developing and implementing solid waste management plans. Additionally, the board advises the department in developing improved methods of solid waste minimization, recycling and resource recovery, reports on unfunded solid waste management projects and such other matters.” DNR, Missouri Solid Waste Advisory Board
| Number of seats | 25 |
| Number of vacant seats | 0 |
| Public seats required | Yes |
| Number of public seats minimum | 2 |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat? | N/A |
| Term length | 3 years |
| How many are appointed by governor? | 5 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise the governor and consent to their appointment? | 0 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | Two members must represent the solid waste management industry and have an economic interest in, or conduct activities with, any solid waste facility or operation. One member may represent the solid waste composting or recycling industry businesses. |
| Political party seat limitations | No |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party? | N/A |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “The remaining members shall be public members who have demonstrated interest in solid waste management issues and shall have no economic interest in or activity with any solid waste facility or operation but may own stock in a publicly traded corporation which may be involved in waste management as long as such holdings are not substantial.” 260.345. |
Purpose: “The council’s main duty is to advise the department on collecting, processing, managing and distributing geologic and hydrologic information to assist the industrial mineral industry.” DNR, Industrial Minerals Advisory Council
| Number of seats | 9 |
| Number of vacant seats | 2 |
| Public seats required | No |
| Number of public seats minimum | N/A |
| Is the vacant seat a public seat | No |
| Term length | 3 years |
| How many are appointed by governor? | 0 |
| How many are legislators? | 0 |
| How many must the senate advise and consent to their appointment? | 0 |
| Industry Specific Seats and how many for each industry | The director of the department of transportation or his or her designee and eight representatives of the following industries, with no more than four appointees from any one industry; Limestone quarry operators, Clay mining, Sandstone mining, Sand and gravel mining, Barite mining, Granite mining; and other nonmetallic surface mining. (Paraphrased from RSMo Section 256.710) |
| Political party seat limitations | No |
| How many seats can not be from the same political party | N/A |
| Statutory requirements regarding experience or knowledge | “Eight representatives of the following industries, with no more than four appointees from any one industry; Limestone quarry operators, Clay mining, Sandstone mining, Sand and gravel mining, Barite mining, Granite mining; and other nonmetallic surface mining.” 256.710. |