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The Missouri Coalition for the Environment entered into a settlement in 2004 with the U.S. EPA to upgrade Missouri's water quality standards to Clean Water Act standards. Achieving protections to make waters safe for people- limiting bacteria and sewage discharges, for example - is a major goal of the settlement. In response, the state extended bacterial standards to all of its 25,000 miles of classified streams. However, 80% of Missouri streams - the "unclassiifed" ones -- receive much less protection. Work to protect all Missouri waters is ongoing. In April 2007, the Coalition sent a Notice of Intent to sue to the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) for its Clean Water Act violations - primarily sewer overflows at more than 500 locations. The Combined Sewer Systems and the Sanitary Sewer Systems both have overflow problems throughout the service area. MSD has until mid-summer to take action to correct its problems or the suit may move forward.

Polluters in Missouri are making efforts to exempt streams from bacterial standards so they can continue to discharge sewage into the state's waters. The Coalition continues to oppose these efforts. To learn more, visit our web site.