The Registry of Abandoned or Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites, also known as the Registry, is a list of sites in Missouri that are contaminated with hazardous waste. Some owners of property proposed for the Registry opted to cleanup, also referred to as remediate, their site, rather than have it placed on the Registry. Eight property owners have negotiated a Registry Consent Agreement with the department, so they can perform site investigation and remediation. When the property owner completes the site remediation, the department will withdraw its Registry action. For more information, review the department's Registry of Confirmed Abandoned or Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites in Missouri - Frequently Asked Questions - PUB2093 publication.
Missouri Registry Annual Report
Once a year, as required by state law, the department develops, publishes and distributes the Registry as the Missouri Registry Annual Report. The Missouri Registry Annual Report notifies the public about property on the Registry and its associated hazards. Not only does it inform potential buyers about hazards and legal obligations they may have to undertake if they purchase the property, it also protects property buyers from unknowingly purchasing contaminated property. The report contains information about each site including:
- Name, address and property owner
- Waste type and quantity
- Site description
- Environmental problems and areas of concern
- Remedial or cleanup actions
- General geologic and hydrologic setting
- Public drinking water advisory
- Health assessment
Sites listed on the Registry are placed in one of five categories, based on its need for remediation. The relative need for action at each site is based solely on the sites potential impact on public health and the environment.
- Class 1: Site poses an imminent danger of causing irreversible or irreparable damage to public health or the environment - immediate action required.
- Class 2: Site poses a significant threat to public health or the environment - action required.
- Class 3: Site does not pose a significant threat to public health or the environment - action may be deferred.
- Class 4: Site has been properly closed - requires continued management.
- Class 5: Site has been properly closed with no evidence of present or potential adverse impact - no further action required. Class 5 sites are removed from the Registry.
The most current Missouri Registry Annual Report - PUB0337 is available in online. If you have any problems accessing this document, please submit a Sunshine Law Request and we can provide it to you on CD for $3.
Registry Law
Missouri's Registry Law, section 260.440, RSMo, which went into effect in 1983, requires the department to maintain the Registry and make it available for public review (annual report). The department implemented the law under Code of State Regulations 10 CSR 25-10.010*. The regulations required each site to be inspected once a year and a deed notice to be filed with the recorder of deeds in the county the site was located. Deed notices include information about the site and provide institutional controls, which allow residual contamination to be left on-site, while still protecting human health and the environment.
In 2008, the Missouri Environmental Covenants Act (MoECA) created a uniform standard for environmental covenants. An environmental covenant is recorded in the property chain-of-title and places certain activity and use limitations on the property. MoECA is now used for sites when a cleanup is conducted with wastes left in place, instead of a deed notice. Before the activity and use limitations can be substantially changed, the department must approve the change so site activities do not spread contamination or increase human exposure. For more information about MoECA, review the department's Missouri Environmental Covenants Act (MoECA) - PUB2414 publication. The department maintains a public database of properties that have restrictions provided for by this law, Environmental Site Tracking and Research Tool (E-Start).
*The Missouri Registry regulations were rescinded March 30, 2019. No new sites have been placed on the Registry since 2003; however, the department still performs the annual inspection for current Registry sites and assesses their classification for any changes.