A group of Clay County residents asked the Clay County Commission on Thursday to press state regulators and the city of Mosby to investigate underground blasting and damage from the nearby I Decker rock quarry and to pause operations while officials gather more information.

Nathaniel Beagley, a resident of 13716 Cameron Road, told commissioners he can feel and hear repeated blasts and described damage to houses, roads and private wells. “These explosions are not small. These explosions are shaking the entire house,” Beagley said, adding that sinkholes have reappeared along Cameron Road and that a petition opposing the expansion includes more than 600 signatures.

Why it matters: Residents said blasting and heavy truck traffic are damaging foundations, creating sinkholes and creating traffic and safety risks on Highway 69 and Cameron Road. They asked Clay County to use whatever political and legal leverage it has — including asking the city of Mosby to pause annexation and quarry activity — while state mining regulators and county staff verify whether underground mining has encroached onto county property.

What commissioners heard and asked
- Commissioner Joanne Lawson, who brought the item forward, told the panel she had met with residents and wanted the county to respond: “I felt that they really had the right to come talk to us about their concerns,” Lawson said. She asked staff to gather more information and pursue remedies.
- Kip Jones, Clay County planning director, said county staff have notified the city of Mosby and the Missouri agencies that regulate mining. He told the commission: “MDNR manages the surface mining… and the mining commission manages the underground mining. That mine is currently in good standing with that commission,” and said he had asked state regulators for the survey documents that show how far underground operations extend.
- Representative Bill Allen, Missouri House, told the room he would contact state geological authorities immediately: “I will reach out to their liaison tomorrow and make a report back to the commissioners,” Allen said, and promised to connect residents with the Missouri Geological Survey and other state resources.

Residents’ claims and examples
- Multiple residents described foundation cracking, a basement wall pushed inward and other structural damage tied in time to blasting. Pam Smith, who lives on 130th Street, said she and her husband spent thousands on foundation repairs and that insurance companies have declined to attribute the damage to the quarry: “We've had a cracked foundation that we've had to repair, which is very expensive,” Smith said.
- Speakers described sinkholes that have been filled repeatedly and a pond losing water near the quarry, and reported heavy truck traffic they said is accelerating road deterioration on Cameron Road and Highway 69.
- Several residents said I Decker is conducting underground mining beneath areas they believe to be county property and that the company previously sought to annex nearby acreage into Mosby. Chris McClaskey said the group has a petition with 616 registered voters who oppose annexation and requested the county obtain the mine survey records and other documents.

Regulatory context and limits
- County staff and the county counselor repeatedly told the commission the county’s enforcement authority is limited when the mining operation sits inside Mosby city limits. Kip Jones said state agencies handle surface and underground mining oversight: “According to MDNR, this mine is in good standing with them,” he told the commission. He also said the Missouri Mining Commission performs quarterly, unannounced inspections of underground operations.
- County counselor Kevin Graham said the county attorney’s office can evaluate allegations such as underground encroachment under county property, and that individuals with property damage may pursue private lawsuits. Graham also said the county can investigate conflict-of-interest allegations about appointed officials and would look into any credible claim.

What the commission directed and will do
- The commission asked the county administrator and staff to draft and circulate a letter, under the presiding commissioner's signature, asking Mosby, the operator and state regulators to investigate the residents’ claims and consider a temporary halt to blasting or other mitigations while the inquiry proceeds. The county administrator said staff would begin work on the letter the next day.
- Planning staff (Kip Jones) agreed to request mine survey information and inspection records from the state agencies that regulate surface and underground mining. County counsel said he would review questions about conflicts of interest raised by residents.
- Representative Bill Allen said he would contact state agencies (Missouri Geological Survey and others) and the governor’s office to request assistance and information.

Background and next steps
Residents described the current proposed expansion as about 89 acres in or adjacent to Mosby and said the quarry’s activities have intensified in the last year. Commissioners said they will circulate the county’s letter to Mosby, the mine operator and state agencies, and that they may consider a formal resolution at a future meeting. County staff will gather survey and inspection records and provide them to the commission.

Commissioner Lawson closed the item by thanking residents and saying the commission would continue to work with state and local officials: “We will go full speed ahead as we can, knowing that we can’t make Mosby make a decision; we will... be sending the letter,” she said.