March 1, 2019

As part of the Clean Water Act, all states are required to review their water quality standards at least every three years. Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) gave notice of its intent to initiate the next triennial review process in January 2019.

MCE worked with our team at the Washington University Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic (IEC) to develop recommendations for DNR to consider in the next triennial review. MCE requested that DNR:

    • Protect for fishable/swimmable uses for all waters of the United States within Missouri, including wetlands, small streams, and headwaters, as well as waters already determined to be waters of the United States
    • Develop nutrient criteria for lakes to protect drinking water and recreational uses
    • Develop nutrient criteria for Missouri’s classified streams and rivers to protect all uses, and
    • Update its ammonia standards to meet EPA’s most recent recommendations.

 

You can read MCE’s entire comment letter to DNR here.