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Keystone pipeline owners knew of defect years before Kansas spill
Owners of the Keystone pipeline knew a defect had formed years before the strain finally caused the pipeline to burst and flood a Kansas creek with oil last year. The Keystone pipeline, owned by TC Energy, burst near the Kansas-Nebraska border late last year, spilling almost 13,000 barrels of oil onto adjacent farmland and into […]
Kansas, Missouri officials tout nonprofit to oversee 2026 World Cup preparations
A nonprofit governed by civic leaders and politicians from Kansas and Missouri will oversee preparations for Kansas City to host part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, officials announced Thursday. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined civic leaders at Arrowhead Stadium to announce the formation of […]
EPA: Radioactive contamination at West Lake landfill is more widespread
BRIDGETON — Radioactive waste has migrated outside the boundaries of the West Lake landfill and contaminated soil and water on the edge of the St. Louis County site, federal environmental officials said Tuesday night. And the contaminated area onsite is far larger than previously thought. Yet still, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency couldn’t assure the […]
Deal puts Missouri Senate back on track after filibuster over KC landfill dispute
The Missouri Senate returned to regular business Friday morning with just a few hours left before its deadline to pass the $50 billion budget after a nine-hour filibuster the day before. Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, and GOP colleagues held the Senate floor all day Thursday in an attempt to force a vote on legislation meant […]
Filibuster over KC landfill bill ends, Missouri Senate puts spending bills on deck for debate
A filibuster consumed about nine hours of the Missouri Senate’s time as the Friday deadline to pass the $50 billion state budget loomed, putting a dispute over a bill designed to kill a proposed landfill in south Kansas City into the spotlight. Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, held the Senate floor for more than four hours Thursday, […]
Critics decry Missouri bill they argue jeopardizes efforts to prevent river pollution
Legislation considered essential to fund Missouri’s environmental regulatory agency now includes an amendment that could drastically hinder efforts to protect the state’s rivers from pollution. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources calls the issue — nonpoint source pollution —“the greatest threat to the state’s waters,” according to its website. The amendment, which was added in […]
EPA estimates more than 200,000 lead pipes remain in Missouri
More than 200,000 lead service pipes carry drinking water to Missouri families, according to a new estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency. New lead water pipes have been banned for more than 30 years. But the EPA estimates that 9.2 million American households still get their water through aging lead pipes. Just over 2% of […]
EPA finds radioactive contamination in more areas of West Lake Landfill
BRIDGETON — Radioactive waste in the West Lake Landfill is more widespread than previously thought, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday. The finding is based on two years of testing at the St. Louis County site, which has held thousands of tons of radioactive waste for decades. An underground “fire” in another […]
Missouri Supreme Court upholds state law prohibiting local CAFO regulations
A state law prohibiting counties from imposing regulations on industrial hog facilities does not violate the Missouri Constitution, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The unanimous ruling upholds a Cole County Circuit Court judge’s decision to toss the case before trial. It says county ordinances attempting to set rules for industrial farms are invalid. At […]
Missouri, Kansas utilities back bills to reestablish monopoly on transmission projects
Missouri’s largest electric utility believes a bill aimed at reducing competition and giving monopoly providers an advantage in building transmission lines will avoid cost overruns and deliver better results for customers. In its home state, where it stands to benefit, Ameren Missouri has offered its full-throated support to legislation aimed at giving the company the […]
Keystone executive gives Kansas legislators vague answers on oil spill cleanup
TOPEKA, Kansas — Owners of the Keystone pipeline still don’t know why it ruptured in northern Kansas, spilling almost 13,000 barrels of oil into Mill Creek and onto surrounding farmland, an executive of the company said Tuesday. Gary Salsman, vice president of field operations for TC Energy, which owns the Keystone pipeline, testified before a […]
‘World War II hasn’t stopped’: St. Louis residents want relief for radiation sickness
Kim Visintine said her son had his first chemotherapy treatment at three weeks old. A year later, Visintine and her husband had $100,000 in medical debt. Six years later, their son died. But it wasn’t until she found hometown friends on Facebook that Visintine connected her son’s cancer – a rare form of brain tumor called […]