Rural counties press for local control as Missouri landfill bill draws sharp local and industry testimony
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Summary
House Bill 2288 would set state statute maximum setbacks for new landfills while allowing counties to adopt up to those distances; supporters from Pettis County urged clearer local authority and taxing ability, while industry witnesses warned the setbacks could effectively block needed disposal capacity.
Representative Brad Pollard introduced House Bill 2288, saying the measure would add statutory maximum setbacks for landfill siting to give county commissions clearer guidance and local authority.
Pollard framed the measure around a Pettis County case, saying the county produced an estimated 22,000 tons of trash in 2022 but the local landfill took in about 618,000 tons that year, and arguing rural counties have become regional waste hubs. ‘‘Pettis County and some of the other rural communities are tired of being the landfill capitals of Missouri,’’ Pollard said.
An industry witness with permitting experience told the committee Missouri currently has roughly 16 operating landfills and that the permitting process is lengthy and stringent; he warned that HB2288’s proposed setbacks — three-quarters of a mile from residences and three miles from schools and churches — would be the most stringent in the nation and would make siting nearly impossible in many counties. He added Missouri exports a large share of waste to neighboring states and said state permitting takes multiple years on average. The witness also described enforcement and inspection gaps at transfer stations and noted the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has lost staff and funding in recent years.
Pettis County officials pushed back. Bill Taylor, Pettis County presiding commissioner, said the county gathered a petition with close to 3,000 signatures opposing the landfill and urged the legislature to let counties write more stringent ordinances and to permit local tonnage taxes so host counties capture revenue. ‘‘If we produce somewhere around 30,000 ton of trash in our county and we got to take 600,000 ton, we want to be able to tax it,’’ Taylor said.
Rocky Miller, a registered lobbyist for Presidio and Trail Consulting, and others warned that increasing statutory barriers would further constrain disposal capacity and could hurt the state economically and environmentally by forcing more cross-border exports.
The committee concluded the hearing after hearing proponents, opponents and informational testimony. No vote was taken on HB2288 at this meeting.