By a Correspondent | August, 2002

The Missouri River in the USA is potentially threatened by pollution dating back to 1868

	Missouri River: Threatened by pollution

Consultants hired by Kansas City in Missouri said that old coal-tar wastes along a river levee will never degrade. Instead, they will leach into ground water and move toward the Missouri River. The wastes contain chemicals that cause cancer.


The city thinks the polluter should pay for removal of the wastes left by energy plants operating from 1868 to 1908.

They're pointing the finger at Missouri Gas Energy, owned by a Texas company that in turn acquired the companies that operated the coal gas plants.

Missouri Gas says it can't afford the massive cleanup which involves disposal of 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. "They're talking money that more than exceeds what any company would have available," a spokesperson told the Kansas City Star. "And it's really uncertain to what degree it's our responsibility."

A less costly solution, she said, would be to use clean soil as a barrier against leachage.