After a nearly 25-year hiatus, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) has reconvened its Environmental Crimes Task Force. The Task Force, which will meet quarterly, combines local, state, and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and environmental regulators who will focus on crimes such as illegal dumping, hazardous waste disposal, illegal discharges into waterways, and more.
While the state has effectively prosecuted environmental crimes for decades, MoDNR Director Kurt Schaefer noted that it is time to convene a new task force that will be more focused, collaborative, and effective.
The team will work together to strategize both on how to better enforce environmental law and how to deter crimes before they happen. Participants also include representatives of U.S. EPA Region 7, the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western districts of Missouri, and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
