Posted February 25, 2010

Stewardship of land, water and air

In the 2010 annual survey of the concerns of the Presbyterians in the Missouri Union Presbytery, the subject of air and water pollution was the third highest concern of those responding to the survey.  Concern for our environment is grounded in the Christian teachings which call on us to be good stewards of the land and resource over which we are given dominion.  From both the rural and urban perspective there are serious issues about how we take care of the soil and how much pollution we release into air and water. Some of the issues are at the national and global scale appearing to be beyond our control as an individual or small group.  But most pollution, erosion and contamination issues have roots in local actions.

Missouri state government has numerous programs to address environmental issues.  Most of the environmental programs are run by the Department of Natural Resources but some important programs are in the Conservation Department and some are in the Department of Agriculture.  The range of programs is very wide.  For our waters, there are programs to control human and animal waste water, chemical and erosion run off and erosion with flood control and with protecting the rivers and wetlands.  For our land, there are programs to control how solid waste land fills are operated and what goes into them, how mining is conducted, how chemicals are applied and controlling erosion.  Four our air, there are programs to control industrial and commercial emissions along with automobile exhausts.

Most of the programs to protect the land, water and air have been in existence for more than 20 years and have matured with broad acceptance and little controversy.  As such, beyond the basic appropriations for the operations, we do not see major legislative issues arising every year in most of the programs.  However, given the changes in science, public opinion, regulator decisions and new situations; new policy issues to be addressed by the State Legislature seem to develop each year.  To help Presbyterians and others of faith follow these issues, the Church and Society Mission Team will track some of the bigger issues being considered.

In the 2010 Legislative Session, the following proposals present issues related to stewardship of our land, water and air.

SB 689 – Senator Robin Wright-Jones D 5th -The act creates the Missouri Clean Energy Technology Center.  The primary purpose of the Center shall be to: promote the creation of jobs in the clean energy field; promote research and workforce training in clean energy at Missouri's colleges and vo-tech schools; and stimulate a conducive business climate for clean energy-related businesses in Missouri.  The Center's offices shall be physically housed within the offices of the Department of Natural Resources but the Center shall be independently run by a 13-member board of directors.  Assigned to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee on January 19, 2010.

SB 848 – Senator Frank Barnitz, D 16th – Under current law, the Public Service Commission and the Department of Natural Resources must promulgate rules to carry out the Renewable Energy Portfolio requirement known as Proposition C passed by voters in the November 2008 election. The act requires the Commission and the Department to include methane generated from farm animal waste as a renewable energy source for purposes of meeting the portfolio requirement.  Assigned to the Senate Agriculture, Food and Outdoor Resources Committee on February 4, 2010.

HB 1630 – Representative James Viebrock R 134th –This bill requires residential and commercial septic removal companies to register with the Department of Natural Resources.  Was introduced January 13, 2010 but has not been assigned to a Committee.

HB2119 – Representative Bob Nance R 36th – The department of conservation, in collaboration with the department of natural resources, may establish a program for good forestry management, including but not limited to the removal and planting of trees.

In Our Opinion

The measures introduced to the Missouri General Assembly this year are not major issues that have attracted much public attention and are not receiving much attention by the Legislative leadership.  If any of our readers have particular interest in supporting any of these measures, contacting the sponsor or the Committee Chairman for those measures which have been assigned to Committee will be most helpful.