According to Ashtracker.org, 12 groundwater monitoring wells near the former Montrose, Mo power plant have been polluted above federal advisory levels in samples collected between December of 2015 and November of 2019. Similar data is reflected in a report from Triangle Environmental Science & Engineering Inc of Rolla, Mo dated January 7, 2025 regarding surface water samples taken from the Montrose lake.
The Triangle report indicates that potable water sources exceed maximum radium levels per EPA standards as well the same for lead, cobalt, arsenic, boron and sulfates. It was also revealed that while lithium levels are elevated, they do not exceed EPA limits.
It should be noted that the findings do not indicate by how much the levels exceed limits however, according EPA website data they are high enough to cause concerns regarding increased instances of cancer and other serious health related issues.
Soil samples taken near the lake emergency overflow indicate hexavalent chromium levels also exceed EPA limits, adding an Erin Brockovich movie element to the findings.
A recent Facebook post regarding the closure of Davis R-12 school which is located just east of the former power plant has raised concerns regarding safety of students and staff alike due to fly ash dumping on the plant property since its closure in late 2018. As of this writing it is unknown when the school will reopen.
During the regular meeting of the Henry county commission on January 21, resident Bill Steward who owns property just north of the former plant revealed the above mentioned contamination findings have caused him to abandon his home and stated the fly ash dumping "MUST stop today" as it has been going on literally 24/7 since at least 2022 by his observations adding "Hundreds of trucks have been running nonstop." Steward also presented the commission with results of samples taken on his farm noting that hexavalent chromium is not native to Missouri but was prevalent on his property.
The response from the commission was of grave concern, however there was a question of whether or not they have the power to stop the dumping, to which Steward fired back "As a county, you DO have the power to stop it. If I personally was poisoning your property, I guarantee you'd do something about it."
The commission did agree that the best move at this point is "getting the word out to the public" in hopes of gaining enough attention to stop the dumping and find a permanent solution for cleanup.
Mid America Live will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available.
