JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A years-long effort to stop a proposed landfill on the border of Kansas City, Missouri, and Raymore, has reached the desk of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.
KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan was in Jefferson City Tuesday morning where the Missouri House passed HB 1751. The legislation previously passed in the Missouri Senate, meaning the fate of the bill now rests in the hands of Parson.
PASSED: HB 1751 is going to @GovParsonMO’s desk. The House and Senate have approved it. The bill essentially kills a proposed landfill on the border of KCMO and Raymore. @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/GHpspdoGkc
— Charlie Keegan (@CharlieKeegan41) April 23, 2024
“We extend our most sincere gratitude to the lawmakers who supported and championed this legislation,” said Raymore Mayor Kris Turnbow. “This measure ensures our community is protected from a threat that would have had negative impacts for generations.”
Developer Jenny Monheiser provided KSHB 41 News the following statement:
"I appreciate the discussions we’ve had over the past several days with Raymore’s elected officials that led to an agreement that works for everyone. We’re hopeful that the Governor signs the legislation that will be sent to his desk so that all parties can move forward. We will have more to say in the coming weeks about plans for the future, but for now, we’re happy to have an agreement that closes this chapter."
Members from the Missouri House also released a statement applauding the passage of the bill.
“The business owners that worked to build this landfill are decent, well-intentioned people who want to better their community and provide a service. I commend their actions to work with the community, the City of Raymore, and the legislature to come to an amicable agreement to draw this issue to a close,” Missouri Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said in the statement. “I am proud of the hard work of my House and Senate colleagues to assist in finding a resolution all parties can be happy with.”
The bill would require new landfills serving cities of more than 400,000 people spread across multiple counties to get approval from neighboring cities within one mile of the proposed landfill site.
Kansas City is one of a few, if not the only, cities in Missouri with more than 400,000 people spread across multiple counties.
The current law only applies to neighboring cities within one-half mile of the proposed landfill site.
The proposed bill also extends the approval process to transfer stations and other types of landfill-related uses.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has 15 days to sign the bill into law or veto it.
If he does neither in the next 15 days, the bill automatically becomes law.
"Each bill that reaches the Governor's desk goes through our office's thorough bill review process. Governor Parson will make his decision after that process is complete," a spokesperson for the governor shared with KSHB 41 on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the Raymore City Council agreed to a settlement with the developers of the proposed landfill, South KC Acquisition and Kansas City Recycle & Waste Solutions. If the bill becomes law, the city will pay the developers $3.29 million.
The city will pay an additional $440,000 to acquire part of the land the developers own to extend a road.
In exchange, the developer will agree to place restrictions on the land it owns, saying it will only be used for light industrial, agriculture or residential purposes.
Turnbow said he now plans to work with the Mid-America Regional Council and other local mayors on a committee to find solutions for solid waste.
“Studies have shown we have 19 to 39 years left in the existing landfills but now is the time to talk,” he said. “How do we incentivize new technologies to our area to handle solid waste, so we minimize what goes into the landfill thereby extending the life of the existing landfills.”
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