Missouri Coalition for the Environment

In 2020, MCE staff and volunteers began the journey to restore the historic Greenwood Cemetery to its former glory. Together with the Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association, we’ve formed a strong partnership through years of hard work. 🌱✨ Our Community Outreach Specialist, Jim Karpowicz with his rich background in documentary filmmaking, has captured these efforts on film. Now, the moment has come for a deeper dive into Greenwood’s story. We’re thrilled to announce that on March 19th, MCE received a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council to share this expanded story with a broader audience! Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project! Learn more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gTUwzbjj

Chats for Change: #KansasCity is only two weeks away and we’re very honored to welcome several elected officials from the Kansas City area who will join our conversation, including: 🌿Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern (D-15) 🌿 Rep. Eric Woods (D-18) 🌿 Rep. Anthony Ealy (D-36) 🌿Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith (6th District) Take advantage of this chance to participate in an inspiring dialogue and network with like-minded individuals committed to environmental conservation. Please RSVP to help us ensure an accurate headcount: https://lnkd.in/gwY9SxBE #moenvironment #kcmo

MCE has received a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to develop an Extreme Urban Heat Action Plan for St. Louis! ☀️ In partnership with SLACO MO and ULI St. Louis, we’re launching a 3-year community-driven initiative to create legislation and policies addressing health issues from climate change-induced extreme heat. We’ll also create a guide for other Missouri cities to implement similar plans. The first two years will focus on research and outreach, and the final year will focus on policy advocacy. With support from the City of St. Louis Office of Sustainability, Ald. Rasheen Aldridge and Ald. Anne Schweitzer, we’re excited to kick off this project in September. Stay tuned for updates! #moenvironment #stlouis #stl #climateaction

Earlier this year, Ordinance 240434 Version 1 was referred to the KC City Council, aiming to amend sections of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2021) / KCMO Energy Code. Key proposals include: 🌿 Building plans must show a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 68 or lower for permit applications. 🌿 Mandates 3rd Party Inspections: Insulation Inspection, Duct Leakage Testing, and Whole House Leakage Testing during construction. 🌿 Requires a Final Compliance HERS report verifying a score of 68 by a qualified Energy Rater for final approval. However, MCE and other local environmental organizations oppose this ordinance, arguing it represents a step backward in energy efficiency. Currently, the IECC requires a HERS score of 51, which is much more energy-efficient compared to the proposed 68. Learn more about the potential impact of Ordinance 240434 on the MCE blog: https://lnkd.in/gadwRNDA #moenvironment #energyefficiency #sustainabilty #kcenergy #climateaction

🗓️🌿 SAVE THE DATE: MCE’s next Eco-Org Networking Event will take place in #KansasCity on Wednesday, July 31 from 4:45-6 pm at Chicken ‘n Pickle North KC for organizations in the region that are working to improve our environment! We’re looking forward to building relationships with employees and volunteers, exchanging useful resources and insights, and working in collaboration with each other to offer support. To learn more and register, visit: https://lnkd.in/guJNWgVg

Chats for Change is headed to #KansasCity on Wednesday, July 31, from 6-8 pm at Chicken N Pickle! 🌳🍺 Join us for a free and engaging night of conversation with other like-minded environmentalists, conservationists, and elected officials. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with MCE staff and environmental advocates from the Kansas City region. One drink will be provided to each attendee. Snacks are available to purchase. Hope to see you there! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ekp_-z_N #moenvironment #kcmo

MCE is thrilled to share that Governor Parson signed HB 2134 into law on July 9, providing greater protections for residents near facilities that mix and store sludge as well as other related wastes near the properties where these materials are land applied. Prompted by concerns from residents near Denali Water Solutions, Inc., MCE’s research revealed gaps in regulations that allowed Denali to operate without proper oversight. HB 2134 closes these loopholes, mandating groundwater monitoring, minimum design standards for storage basins, and strict nutrient management practices to safeguard surface water, groundwater, and neighboring lands. We are grateful to all legislators, especially the bill sponsors, who met with MCE’s policy team to share our findings and our proposed language to provide greater protections for Missouri’s people and their environment. MCE looks forward to further reforms in the 2025 legislative session! For more details about HB 2134, read our recent blog post: https://lnkd.in/gK7A6BWs . . . #moleg #moenvironment #missouri #community #advocacy #missourilegislature #environmental #environmentaljustice

Meet Ollie Caron-Noble, our new Policy Specialist! 👋 Ollie joins MCE with a passion for public policy and nearly a decade of experience in the legal field. After graduating from SUNY Purchase with a Bachelor’s degree in political science, he attended law school in Portland, OR, where he developed an interest in food law and policy. Ollie became a licensed attorney in the State of Missouri after moving to St. Louis in 2022 and spent over a year practicing law before joining MCE’s policy team. Ollie spends their free time crafting, taking pictures of their cats, hiking, and playing tennis with their partner. Welcome, Ollie! 

This session in the Missouri General Assembly was a special one for MCE. Legislators filed language we helped write in four separate bills (the greatest number of bills MCE has helped draft in a given session!) and one of them -- HB 2134/FB 1956 -- is expected to become law. HB 2134/HB 1956 addressed many of the concerns around the sludge crisis in Southwest Missouri in large part due to the operations of Denali Water Solutions, Inc. This bill was Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed and is awaiting Governor Mike Parson’s signature. Thank you to all the Missourians who spoke up about this issue!

Earlier this year, Bayer Corporation launched a campaign in Idaho, Iowa, and Missouri to push legislation protecting them from lawsuits alleging cancer and other harms from pesticides (like Roundup, which Bayer manufactures). These three states -- all of them farm country -- were a testing ground for pesticide manufacturers’ efforts to shield themselves from corporate liability. In each state, pesticides lost and citizens won. Read more in the Iowa Capital Dispatch op-ed “Heartland legislatures prove skeptical of industrial ag’s efforts to dodge accountability,” co-written by MCE policy director Melissa Vatterott, Idaho Conservation League government relations director Jonathan Oppenheimer, and Iowa Environmental Council water program director Alicia Vasto.