The city of Columbia says it’s resubmitted its plan to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the issue of human waste and trash from homeless camps getting into waterways like the Hinkson creek.
State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) director Kurt Schaefer tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Missouri” that DNR doesn’t allow anyone else to do this across the state;
“We’ve had over 30 complaints in the recent past and we’ve had more before that about needles, human waste, trash. Other things that are going into waterways that, you know, frankly we don’t allow anyone else to do that in the state of Missouri,” Schaefer tells listeners.
Director Schaefer tells “Wake Up” that he wants to see a detailed plan from city officials on how to address it:
“Essentially in order to renew that stormwater permit there’s going to have to be a plan. You know just like if there’s land disturbance over an acre or anything else that engages one of these permits you know, we ask for a plan,” says Schaefer.
Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen tells 939 the Eagle that the city has resubmitted its plan to DNR and continues to work with them through this process. Director Schaefer tells listeners that the main homeless camp they’re focusing on is near Bob Evans:
“The main that we’re focused on is the one at (Highway) 63 and (Interstate) 70. And as Columbia pointed out in the meeting that they had with the department (DNR) recently, that part of that responsibility is on MoDOT because part of that encampment is on MoDOT property so MoDOT is getting the same letter that Columbia got,” says Olsen.
DNR spokeswoman Connie Patterson tells 939 the Eagle that anyone who wants to report a water quality concern can do so here. You can listen to the full “Wake Up Missouri” interview with Director Schaefer here.
