IN THIS ISSUE

OVER 45 YEARS OF EFFECTIVE The Alert CITIZEN ACTION Coalition for the Environment Volume 49, Issue 2 / FALL 2018 Effective Citizen Action Since 1969

WHAT’S INSIDE 2018: Worst Legislative Session for the People and Environment This Decade By Ed Smith, Policy Director

The legislature passed bills, subsequently signed into law, that will increase the risk of water pollution, allow deer to be slaughtered as livestock, remove the right of local communities to protect their citizens from known health risks at factory farms, and cut the budget of our award-winning state parks system. These changes will have negative effects on public health and natural resources for years to come.

MISSOURI LEGISLATURE / 1 Let’s start with the good before detailing the bad. Parks Update / 5 West Lake Landfill / 5 MCE supports an equitable food system, from farm to fork, that increases access to healthy food and eliminates food insecurity. With your help, MCE and its wide-ranging allies throughout the state supported the passage of House Bill 1625, which establishes the Missouri Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. The legislation assists low-income seniors with the purchase of fresh, Missouri-grown produce. MCE also helped stop bad legislation, such as efforts (House Bills 1443 and 1486, Senate Bill 561) to remove an estimated 40,000+ people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would have resulted in the loss of $5 million in federal assistance for Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens.

Now for the bad.

WATER • The Missouri Senate confirmed appointees to the Clean Water Commission (CWC) with close ties to the corporate, The Big River / 3 factory-farm agriculture industry. The CWC is responsible for establishing clean water rules and approval of Ozark Streams / 6 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The new commissioners immediately issued permits to two CAFOs that were denied by members of the previous CWC. • More than $1 million intended for the restoration of newly acquired state parks was transferred out of the state parks budget. Governor Mike Parson disregarded our request for a line-item veto to prevent this from happening. • Senate Bill 627 made several changes to agriculture laws that benefit large corporate farms:

‣ Places restrictions on local governments or health departments from enacting ordinances related to CAFOs. The bill allows the more than two dozen local ordinances applied to CAFOs to remain on the books while taking away this option for localities that have not enacted such ordinances. FOOD & FARM / 7 ‣ Allows deer and elk to be raised and slaughtered as livestock, increasing the risk of spreading Chronic Wasting Good Food Lobby Day / 4 Disease in captivity as well as transmitting the disease to wild deer and elk herds. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously in July that the Department of Conservation has the constitutional authority to regulate wildlife, which by definition includes captive deer and elk. The court also ruled the “right-to-farm” does not apply to wildlife. This portion of SB 627 will likely be struck down following the court’s ruling.

• Senate Bill 782 weakens Missouri’s Clean Water Law by limiting the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) ability to intervene only after agricultural runoff pollution has been proven to “render such waters harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety, or welfare….” The bill essentially calls for cleaning up pollution after it happens ALERT FEATURES instead of preventing it in the first place. Director’s Message / 2 • Senate Bill 917 allows the DNR to establish “risk-based” standards for the closure and post-closure monitoring of toxic coal ash landfills, most of which are located in or near river floodplains. The law will apply minimal oversight and MCE Staff Updates / 2 enforcement of these toxic landfills in vulnerable environments. Senate Bills 659 and 782 were also amended with the Intern Highlights / 3 same language.

Are you a member? Join Today! Visit us online at continued on pg 4 www.moenvironment.org From the Director Fall 2018 Alert

What’s in a Name? To educate, organize, and advocate By Heather Broulliet Navarro, Executive Director in defense of Missouri’s people and their environment. Not too long ago, I sat at a table with undergraduate students in various fields related to natural resources management. They were attending a conference MCE BOARD: sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR); their interests included forestry, fisheries, and wildlife management. I was surprised that of the Nadim Kanafani, MD, President five or six students, only one said she would call herself an “environmentalist.” In Kally Coleman, Vice President Stuart Keating, Treasurer one case, a student reported she was a closeted environmentalist, gently nudging Tom Leb, Secretary her roommates to recycle but hoping they wouldn’t put her in the “green” box. I Steve Brewer received a similar response during a conversation with our interns this summer for whom “environmentalist” is not David Garin a descriptive term. My initial reaction to these conversations was to fear that environmental organizations like MCE David Lobbig, Immediate Past President are losing relevance and that young people will move away from collective organizing and membership-based action. Steve Mahfood Arlene Sandler However, I look at the number of summer interns we have and the requests for student involvement during the Suzie Schmitt school year, and I know that MCE offers something that can’t be found elsewhere. Even more encouraging than the Bernard Waxman number of students is the types of students who want to get involved. Students come from a variety of study areas Eric Wilkinson – health and nutrition, global studies, and journalism. MCE STAFF: With climate change, fracking, and local food in the mainstream, many more people have joined in the work to Executive Director: Heather B. Navarro protect our environment, but not always under the label of “environmentalist.” From advocates for cleaner living Executive Assistant: Denise Baker conditions in public housing to passionate paddlers and community gardeners, these people are advancing solutions Policy Director: Ed Smith to some of the most prolific environmental challenges. Personal actions, such as toting reusable bags, composting, Development Director: Laura Lock and driving electric cars, are not unique to self-proclaimed “environmentalists.” And, in many cases, people had Food & Farm Director: Melissa Vatterott Water Policy Coordinator: Maisah Khan been limiting their consumption and reusing household items long before there was a move toward “sustainability.” Local Food Coordinator: Rae Miller Communications Director: Ellyn Horan MCE offers the ability to connect these varied interests and actions into a strategic effort for systemic change. Food Justice Organizer: Tosha Phonix Membership organizations like ours provide the collective action that shapes systems and policies by boosting the power of individual actions into something much larger. The environmental movement is not limited to a specific field Copyeditor: Bill Rable of study or political view, and it is much bigger than any one cause. Issues come and go, but the steadfastness of MCE is found in decades of experience, a solid reputation, and a history of integrity. With member support, MCE can advance THE 2018 ALERT: community goals while executing a larger vision for environmental protection and public health. Whether people Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s Alert call themselves “environmentalists” is not nearly as important as the work they do to protect our natural resources, newsletter is published twice each calendar families, and communities, present and future. Thank you for your support and please consider gifting a membership year. This newsletter is for informational to someone you know who values clean water, clean air, fresh produce, or simply the chance to play outside. purposes only. All opinions and estimates in The Alert constitute the best judgment Sincerely, of MCE and its contributors but are subject to change without notice. Reproduction of articles for publication is prohibited without permission of the publisher. Heather B. Navarro Missouri Coalition for the Environment 3115 South Grand Blvd., Suite 650 St. Louis, MO 63118 ph 314.727.0600 MCE Staff Updates e [email protected] The MCE’s team is growing! Most recently we welcomed the following: Follow us on Social Media: Facebook @MoEnviron Twitter @MoEnviron • Maisah Khan, Water Policy Coordinator. Most recently, Maisah was at the Department of Energy in Instagram @moenvironment Washington, D.C. She has a B.S. in conservation biology and a master’s in environmental management. She heads up MCE’s water quality work and focuses on the Lower Missouri and Middle Mississippi Rivers. • Laura Lock, Development Director. Laura brings a wealth of experience in communications, event Sign up for our e-alerts and stay planning, and sustainability to MCE. She has been active in the St. Louis community and is excited to current with environmental news. help MCE celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019. • Ellyn Horan, Communications Director. Ellyn was most recently at The Little Bit Foundation working Visit us online at in development and communications, and comes to MCE with a law degree from the University of www.moenvironment.org Missouri - Columbia. She has experience working with our partners at Great Rivers Environmental Law Center and Renew Missouri. • Tosha Phonix, Food Justice Organizer. Tosha joins MCE with a background in social services and a passion for urban and rural farming. She has fostered valuable connections in the St. Louis community and will support the Food Equity Advisory Board. continued on pg 3

2 THE ALERT FALL 2018 THE ALERT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.MOENVIRONMENT.ORG MCE Updates

MCE Interns High School Interns Food & Farm Interns

Eavan O’Neil: Fiona Eckert: Senior at Webster Groves Washington University in High School, hoping to St. Louis, class of 2020, study genetics and art at studying environmental college next year. policy and international development. Maddie Jackson: Metro Academic and Alyssa Brown: Classical High School Middlebury College, Intern Float Trip – Left to Right: Ed Smith, policy director; graduate/freshman at class of 2020, studying Maisah Khan, water policy coordinator; Melissa Vatterott, Loyola Chicago, planning environmental policy. Food & Farm director; Eric Wilkinson, board member; Maddie Ruwitch, intern; Alyssa Brown, intern; and Maddie to study political science Jackson, intern. and environmental policy. Sam Goetz: Washington University in St. Louis, class of 2019, double Executive Intern majoring in biology and anthropology, global health and the environment track. Maddie Ruwitch: Kenyon University, Jadine Sonoda: class of 2019, double Washington University in majoring in English and St. Louis, class of 2019, gender studies. majoring in biology, with a minor in anthropology.

MCE Staff Updates Continued The Big River continued from pg 2 By Maisah Khan, Water Policy Coordinator We said good-bye to Ally Siegler at the beginning of the summer. She was an Americorps VISTA volunteer who helped expand the St. Louis Food Policy Did you know that one of the nation’s largest Superfund sites is Coalition and is now studying public health at St. Louis University. just an hour outside of St. Louis? The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Big River Superfund site in St. Francois County addresses lead contamination from decades of mining in the “Old Lakes Survey Lead Belt.” In fact, if you’ve been to St. Francois State Park, you’ve Throughout the summer, we been to one of the target areas for cleanup in EPA’s proposed plan. used our Lakes Survey to gather The Big River is a critical natural resource for the St. Louis region. It information from members like is a tributary to the Meramec River, which provides drinking water you about the quality of Missouri to 70,000 households and countless recreational opportunities. lakes. We aim to ensure that your favorite lakes and reservoirs This summer MCE attended a public meeting, compiled a public are suitable for human health. petition letter with over 90 signatures, and submitted formal We have received responses comments to the EPA regarding their Big River Superfund cleanup from St. Louis to the Lake of plan. We are concerned that the EPA’s plan doesn’t do enough to the to Kansas City. Your protect public health and wildlife, and we are urging the EPA to put response is very important to forward an aggressive cleanup plan that protects health, wildlife, Lake Wappapello us. Please take a moment to fill and the Meramec River watershed, minimizes costs to taxpayers, out the survey, if you have not and provides more opportunities for public engagement. Thank already, at www.moenvironment.org/molakes. Your commitment to the you to all the MCE members who signed the petition and made environment and public health is greatly appreciated. your voice heard!

MISSOURI COALITION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE ALERT FALL 2018 3 Food & Farm

2018: Worst Legislative Session for the People and Environment This Decade Continued continued from pg 1

There were positive amendments within some of the bills we opposed. 1. Make sure you’re registered to vote, and vote. Senate Bills 659 and 782 were amended to reestablish a radioactive waste 2. Follow MCE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign-up investigation fund administered by the DNR. The investigation fund allows for our legislative e-mail updates. a “local governing body” to request DNR investigate potential radioactive 3. Call your state representative and state senator during the contamination in specified areas within the jurisdiction of a local government legislative session when you see calls-to-action from MCE. The and in the homes of voluntary homeowners. MCE testified in support of the only way we’re going to make a difference is by working together. original bill calling for the radioactive waste investigation fund before it was 4. Make sure your state representative and state senator know you added to bills we opposed. Also, SB 627 includes an amendment that allows by name. Lawmakers truly care about what their constituents urban and community gardens to be taxed as agricultural land, with the goal think. You will have a better opportunity to influence your of making urban land more affordable for growing food. lawmaker if they know who you are. Ask for an in-district meeting before the end of 2018 to share your environmental Final Thoughts priorities. Call Ed Smith, MCE’s policy director, for help with ideas for what to discuss during the meeting. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get 5. Go to Jefferson City in 2019. We are always looking for people better. It’s not.” wrote Dr. Seuss in The Lorax. Missouri needs you to become to join us to testify in committee hearings and to participate in more engaged leading up to, and during, the 2019 legislative session; without lobby days. You do not have to be an expert to do either. more people taking action, we can expect more bad policy coming out of Jefferson City. There’s plenty you can do to help. Here are some suggestions, Missouri will have healthier people and a healthier environment if we from easiest to more engaged: work together!

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed addresses a group of advocates at MCE’s sticker looking good one year after our first legislative Rep. Jerome Barnes addresses a group of advocates at Earthbound Brewing Company as part of MCE’s legislative spring break tour event at Crane Brewing Company in Raytown, Crane Brewing Company as part of MCE’s legislative spring spring break tour. Mo. Brewers know that great beer starts with clean water. break tour. Photo by Ed Smith Photo by Ed Smith Photo by Ed Smith

Good Food Lobby Day in Jefferson City By Ed Smith, Policy Director

From farm to fork, our food system should be something we are proud of, making the safest and healthiest food accessible to all Missourians. That is why MCE and our allies from throughout the state engaged lawmakers during the legislative session to support good food policies that we can be proud of. Good food policies include improved food safety, healthier farming practices, and greater access to healthy food. Our lobby-day allies included the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition, Operation Food Search, the American Heart Association, and the Missouri Farmers Union.

Our grassroots engagement was successful in supporting access to healthy food by expanding support for low-income seniors to purchase nutritious food at farmers’ markets. We also stopped bills that would have eliminated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 40,000 of Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens. SNAP is a tool for ensuring that Americans have access to healthy food.

Our grassroots engagement was not as successful in supporting a farm-to-fork food system that utilizes healthy farming practices and public safety. Lawmakers passed bills that were signed into law eroding the effectiveness of Missouri’s Clean Water Law and stopped the ability of local governments to regulate Good Food Lobby Day – Left to Right: Jeron Cook, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which are known public health threats. MCE intern; Rae Miller, local food coordinator; Ally Siegler, MCE VISTA; Mo. Rep. Cora Faith Walker; Missouri needs you, your family, and friends who care about our environment, to become engaged or to and Trina Ragin, director of advocacy and research increase your engagement of state elected officials in support of a healthy, safe, and just food system. I at Operation Food Search. promise that lawmakers listen to their constituents, and we need people to get involved. Join our Missouri Legislature e-mail list to stay informed and learn how you can help make a difference!

4 THE ALERT FALL 2018 THE ALERT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.MOENVIRONMENT.ORGMOENVIRONMENT.ORG Missouri Legislature

New State Parks Update - Shuttered, Not Sold By Ed Smith, Policy Director

In 2016, then-Governor Jay Nixon acquired land to create four new state parks, leading up to the centennial celebration of our award winning-parks system in 2017. Also in 2016, Missourians voted nearly 80 percent in favor of reauthorizing a tax that helps maintain our state parks and historic sites while electing Eric Greitens to be our new governor.

Support for Missouri state parks was more popular than any other statewide issue or candidate on the ballot in 2016; it passed in every single county. That’s why we became immediately concerned when then-Governor Greitens initiated a public comment period to determine the fate and land sale of (Douglas Co.); Ozark Mountain State Park (Oregon Co.); (Reynolds County); and (Taney County). MCE worked with allies to fill public meetings and to submit comments with support for opening the new state parks for the public to use as intended. Governor Greitens chose not to sell the parks, but he “mothballed” the land until a future time when the land could be restored. Left to Right: Sara Edgar, Sierra Club; Heather Navarro, MCE; Stephanie Nelson; Little did we know there were plans afoot by Gov. Greitens to return money Alicia Lloyd, former MCE clean water policy coordinator; and Holly Neill, The Nature meant for restoring the land to the legal settlements from which it came in the Conservancy, explore land along the Eleven Point River recently acquired by the Dept. of 2018 state budget. To be clear, the money used to buy and restore the new state Natural Resources. parks was allowed under the legal settlement from which the money originated and only represented a portion of the funds. MCE and our allies worked to There is broad, bipartisan support for Missouri state parks throughout the state. keep the nearly $575,000 meant to restore the state parks for the public good That support is not being heard loudly enough by the nearly 80 percent of during the 2018 legislative session. Governor Greitens resigned shortly after Missourians who voted in favor of state parks in 2016. Your help is needed to the legislative session ended, elevating Lt. Gov. Mike Parson to Governor. MCE change that in 2019. Join our Missouri Legislature e-mail list at moenvironment. reached out to Governor Parson’s office, hoping he would line-item veto the org to stay informed and to learn how you can help make a difference! transfer of state park restoration funding, but he eventually signed it into law.

West Lake Landfill: EPA Signs Record of Decision and State Settles Smoldering Fire Lawsuit By Ed Smith, Policy Director

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will remove up to 70% of the overall radioactivity at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site in St. Louis County, according to Administrator Wheeler, who signed the final Record of Decision (ROD) on September 27, 2018. The radioactive material removed will be sent to an out-of-state facility designed to contain such toxic substances. The newly announced ROD is mostly a reversal of the EPA’s 2008 decision to cap-and-leave all of the radioactive material at the unlined landfill in the Missouri River floodplain, where it is susceptible to floods, tornados, fires, and earthquakes - all posing potential threats to our water, air, and health.

Our community could not have accomplished this without the education and mobilization of thousands of Missouri residents. Administrator Wheeler recognized Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) by name, alongside Kay Drey and Just Moms STL, at the signing of the decision when thanking the groups who influenced the decision to excavate and remove the radioactive material. While this announcement is good news for the St. Louis region, MCE will continue to ask for full removal and a buyout of the nearby families. The EPA’s announcement is not the last decision that will be made regarding cleanup at the landfill. The EPA will investigate radioactive groundwater contamination in the near future, which will include its own public comment period and Record of Decision.

Meanwhile, seven hundred feet is what separates a subsurface smoldering fire from known areas of radioactive contamination at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site. The smoldering fire started in 2010 and was not made known to the public until mid-2012. In early 2013, then-Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit against the landfill owner, Republic Services, for violating environmental laws relating to the smoldering fire. Our current Attorney General, Josh Hawley, was responsible for settling the lawsuit this summer following his election in 2016.

Part of the settlement includes $12.5 million for “restitution” to the community. The money will be disbursed by the St. Louis Community Foundation within a four-mile radius of the landfill to nonprofit organizations working for the betterment of the area. The foundation is conducting stakeholder meetings to identify potential projects before presenting the options at a public meeting, where it will receive feedback from affected families and community members. Other monetary compensation from the settlement includes $1 million to St. Louis County public schools, $500,000 to restore public properties, and $2 million to reimburse the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for some of the expenses incurred over the last several years. AG Hawley also ensured Republic Services, not its subsidiaries, will be responsible for any future costs associated with trying to contain the smoldering fire. The State of Missouri retains its authority to enforce separate actions at the site, should a new problem arise during the length of settlement. None of the settlement money can be used for a buyout.

The outcome of the EPA decision and the smoldering fire legal settlement could not have happened without broad, grassroots engagement of government agencies and elected officials. The community will need to remain engaged in order to ensure the long-term safety of people and the protection of natural resources. Stay tuned to www.moenvironment.org for more information.

MISSOURI COALITION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE ALERT FALL 2018 5 Ozark Streams

The River Runs Deep - Friends of Ozark Riverways Update By Kally Coleman, Co-Founder of Friends of Ozarks Riverways, MCE Board Vice-President, and Current River Native

Did you know Friends of Ozark Riverways (FOR) is an affiliate organization of MCE? Founded in 2003, FOR works to help protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and rich cultural history of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) and surrounding environs to ensure a high quality experience for visitors of the Riverways well into the future. FOR works to ensure that the Riverways are maintained according to the National Park Service standards that were set forth in the enabling legislation that created it:

“For the purpose of conserving and interpreting unique scenic and other natural values and objects of historic interest, including preservation of portions of the Current River and the Jacks Fork River in Missouri as free- flowing streams, preservation of springs and caves, management of wildlife, and provisions for use and enjoyment of the outdoor recreation resources thereof by the people of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior...shall designate...the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.” -Public Law 88-492 (1964) Ranger Dave Tobey, ONSR. While the Buffalo National River (created in 1972) gets bragging rights as the first national river, the Current Photo by Alan Shawgo of Shawgo Studios and Jacks Fork Rivers were the very first river system to be protected by the National Park Service.

The importance of FOR’s work to bridge understanding between conservation groups and the people who live along the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers cannot be overstated. In order to continue protecting natural treasures for future generations, we all must come together and make our voices and actions heard.

Roads and Trails Plan In coming months, the National Park Service will release the draft Roads and Trails Plan for ONSR. This draft plan will likely be controversial. FOR will need all hands on deck to support appropriate changes to existing roads and trails within the park and to weigh in on how horse and mountain bike use will be managed well into the future. Once the draft plan is released, FOR will provide information on how to comment and be Ozark Streams Film Festival Team – Left to Right: Ryan actively involved in what could be the most important part of the new General Management Plan (GMP). Hanlon, Route 3 Films; Alex Turley, Focal Imaging; Mark The GMP, including the final Roads and Trails Plan, will guide park leaders on how they manage ONSR for the Wanner, Saint Louis Zoo; Kally Coleman, Friends of Ozark next 20+ years. To get involved or to stay up-to-date on Friends of Ozark Riverways, please follow them on Riverways; brothers Mark and Tom Malkowicz, Where’s Facebook or Instagram at @Friends_ONSR! Malko; and Dave Tobey, ONSR. Photo by Alan Shawgo of Shawgo Studios Ozark Streams Film Festival After record floods in spring of 2017, FOR teamed up with Route 3 Films and travel bloggers, Where’s Malko, to make a series of short documentaries telling the stories of the people and places that were devastated by flooding along the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. The films received an overwhelming response, and many folks heeded our call to get back to Ozark National Scenic Riverways because those communities rely heavily on tourism dollars. (National Parks are huge economic generators for their local gateway communities!)

Building on the momentum of those films, FOR and Where’s Malko put together the inaugural Ozark Streams Film Festival on June 6, 2018, at the historic Landmark Tivoli Theatre in the St. Louis Delmar Loop. This sold-out event was a celebration of our nation’s finest streams: The Current, Jacks Fork, and Eleven Point Rivers. Nationally recognized and federally protected, these rivers are the jewels of Missouri. Featured films were carefully selected and curated in a way to tell stories of the rivers and the connections people have to them, a young girl carrying on her family’s local tradition of gigging, to St. Louisans whose family began fostering their strong connection to the rivers several generations back. In addition to films, audience members were treated to special guests Mark Wanner of the Saint Louis Zoo’s hellbender conservation program and the always entertaining and informative Ranger Dave Tobey of ONSR. If you were unable to join us for the festival, you can view all the films at the Where’s Malko blog page,https://wheresmalko.com/2018/06/20/2018-ozark-streams-film-festival/

The Current River in ONSR. Holding a crawdad in a tributary of the Current River in ONSR. Big Spring in ONSR at Van Buren, Mo. Photo by Kally Coleman Photo by Kally Coleman Photo by Kally Coleman

6 THE ALERT FALL 2018 THE ALERT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.MOENVIRONMENT.ORG Food & Farm

Food & Farm Update By Jadine Sonoda, Food & Farm Interns, Fiona Eckert and Jodine Sonoda

MCE has made great progress with our food and farm work this year, got there, the quality of food, availability of products, and affordability of advancing the “food access” and “farm-to-institution” priorities of the the stores. Four general themes were noted: quality concerns, service/ St. Louis Food Policy Coalition. Through the outreach and partnership store environment, affordability, and product. Other resident concerns development of Rae Miller, MCE’s local food coordinator, MCE has included lack of cooking knowledge in the community, prevalence of fast identified several groups in the St. Louis area committed to building a food restaurants, and fragmentation of North St. Louis County. Following robust, environmentally responsible food system. In the City of St. Louis, ten months of community engagement and assessment, we returned this Fair Shares CCSA and Eat Here St. Louis are aggregating and selling spring to the communities for feedback on the strategies we developed local products to individuals, restaurants, and small groceries. Outside to improve the food environment. All four proposed strategies received the city, we have connections with four groups that are aggregating broad support from community members: products, many from environmentally responsible farmers. These groups have shown interest in selling more in the St. Louis market. As we move 1. Build support, capacity, and awareness of community food forward with our own aggregation and hub model, we plan on working markets (select independent, small-scale food retailers) so they may become viable and profitable businesses. with each of these groups to streamline the farm-to-buyer process. 2. Work with grocery store chains to address quality and other concerns of residents. In our food access work, we are building relationships with community 3. Support farm-to-institution efforts in North St. Louis, members who live in low food access areas and working with nonprofit to include supporting urban food production business allies, businesses, and government officials to respond to the needs and development and supporting institutions in procuring local desires of these community membesrs. From April 2017 through January food from those businesses. 2018, Ally Siegler, former food and environmental outreach VISTA, 4. Increase cooking, nutrition, and garden knowledge of healthy food. led the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition’s Food Access Listening Session initiative in 17 neighborhoods and municipalities in North St. Louis City We shared these strategies with our partners developing the joint and County to develop innovative strategies to bring healthy food to low Community Health Impact Plan (CHIP) of the City of St. Louis Department access communities. North St. Louis has the highest concentration of low- of Health and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, and at income and low-access populations. Given that most residents of this part least strategies 1 and 3 will be adopted in the CHIP! Melissa Vatterott, of the St. Louis region are people of color, improving healthy food access MCE’s Food & Farm director, and Tosha Phonix, MCE’s new food justice in this region is a critical component of advancing racial equity. During the organizer, will be key players in moving forward with these strategies and listening sessions, residents were asked where they shopped and how they other efforts desired by residents.

Following Part One of the Farmers United Tour in KC: a group photo of the partners and attendees of the tour.

Above: Beth Low-Smith, vice-president of finance and administration at KC Healthy Kids and director of the Greater KC Food Policy Coalition, urging people to take action on the 2018 Farm Bill.

Left: Farmers United Tour – Left to Right – top row: Ryan Ally Siegler, former MCE VISTA, engages with a resident at Kemp, Pickin’ on Music Festivals; John Hussung, Mike Reclaim + Sustain event in late summer 2017. Ally is currently Murano, Neil Salsich, and Gerard Erker, The Mighty Pines. pursuing her Masters in Public Health at St. Louis University. Left to Right – bottom row: Molly Rockamann, EarthDance Organic Farm School; Melissa Vatterott, MCE Food & Farm director; and Niki Fox, Pickin’ on Music Festivals.

MISSOURI COALITION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE ALERT FALL 2018 7 Missouri Coalition for the Environment Non-Profit Org. Effective Citizen Action Since 1969 3115 South Grand Blvd., Suite 650, St. Louis, MO 63118 U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No. 6007

MCE is turning 50! MCE was born because a concerned group of citizens envisioned an organization that would address a broad band of environmental issues. The founders kicked off the idea in 1967 after a conference on the “Environmental Crisis.” They created a framework of volunteer committees and the Alert newsletter. That was 49 years ago. MCE is here today because of the efforts of individuals – board members, donors, staff, and volunteers – who have carried the banner of citizen action to fight development in floodplains, to protect public parks and wilderness, to challenge permits for everything from harmful mining operations to medical waste incinerators, and to support local food systems. The coming year presents an opportunity to reflect on the success and accomplishments of the people and partners who have helped protect Missouri’s natural resources and public health, and to contemplate the next fifty years. Where does MCE need to be, what do we need to focus on, and who do we need to partner with to ensure that all Missourians have access to a clean, healthy environment? To volunteer with these efforts or to share your MCE memorabilia, please contact Laura Lock, [email protected]. We look forward to celebrating with you and gearing up for the next fifty years!

MCE Alert Newsletter: April 1976 MCE Alert Newsletter: September 1978 MCE Alert Newsletter: November 1978

Attention Federal Employees: Your Support of the Combined Federal Campaign Makes Missouri Cleaner and Greener. Remember MCE! CFC #92907

THE ALERT FALL 2018 THE ALERT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.MOENVIRONMENT.ORG