JEFFERSON CITY — Following public backlash, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is moving to deny a beef packer’s request to pump treated waste into a southwest Missouri river.
Missouri Prime Beef Packers, north of Pleasant Hope, Missouri, submitted plans to the state to discharge up to 350,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day into the Pomme de Terre River.
The company had also proposed using iLeaf technology to break down waste before it is discharged into the river — a process considered “innovative†under state regulations, with frequent pollutant monitoring necessary.
The plan generated intense public opposition due to pollution concerns, and a to stop the dumping of waste into the river had generated more than 5,000 signatures as of Wednesday.
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A state antidegradation review earlier this year contained effluent limits and requirements the facility would need to meet, John Hoke, water protection program manager for the Department of Natural Resources, said Tuesday.
The Department of Natural Resources, in a May news release, said it was proposing to issue “permit(s) subject to certain effluent limitations, schedules, and special conditions.†The determinations were tentative pending public comment, the state said at the time.
“After taking comments on the antidegradation review and questions regarding the iLeaf technology, we revisited our regulations and ascertained that we did not have sufficient information in the current application to make a decision,†Hoke said Tuesday.
The department, he said, was putting up for public notice its intent to deny the company’s permit application.
The state currently allows land application of the company’s waste. But that, too, would not be allowed if the company’s permit is denied.
“If the permit application is denied, the facility will not be able to discharge to Pomme de Terre River and the facility would no longer be allowed enforcement discretion for land application,†Hoke said.
Hoke said a public comment period on the permit denial will end Jan. 8.
An in-person public meeting will be held on Jan. 6 at Pleasant Hope Middle School. The department will also host two virtual hearings: one on Dec. 12 and another on Dec. 19.
But Missouri Prime Beef Packers does have an opportunity to help sway the state with a complete and acceptable permit application, Hoke said.
“If during the public notice period Missouri Prime Beef submits a complete, acceptable permit application that contains appropriate wastewater treatment and management plan, the Department would consider that application in its decision,†he said.
Cpl. Patrice Pyatt with the Missouri Department of Conservation talks about the top things you can do to avoid getting into trouble while enjoying Missouri's waters. Video by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
