Missouri Conservation

Missouri Conservation

Missouri and Water Pollution
Action needs to be taken to reduce water pollution in Missouri for the sake of health, cost, and the preservation of wildlife.   In a recent conservation Survey 97% of Missourians voted water pollution as the number concern in conservational issues.  
Why are so many Missourians concerned about water pollution?   2.5 million Missouri residents rely on streams for drinking water.   Water treatment and cleansing is not a cheap process, it is expensive and comes out of the pockets of Missouri citizens. When more money is spent on water treatment and cleansing it is safe to drink the higher the water bills go up, causing the residents of Missouri to pay more.  
Not only is the issue the cost but the health risks as well.   In 2008 more than 12 citizens in Cameron Missouri was diagnosed with brain tumors, within seven months.   The only thing that links these people together is the drinking water.   Cameron is a small town, and this is just one example.   Missourians pay the price whether it is their health or extra expenses because of water treatment. The pie-graph below (Image 1), for example shows how much of the population near the Missouri River rely on the river for drinking water.
Image 1.  
(Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 2007)
Why is water pollution a big issue in Missouri?   Congress decided to change the number of waterways protected in Missouri in 2001.   The president of Missouri Conservation Federation, Glenn Chambers stated “Just less than 70 percent of Missouri streams are at risk of losing Clean Water Act protection. And about 700 thousand acres, just under 700 thousand acres of wetlands, may already have lost protection," (Mcgowin, 2009).   Now the conservation department fears that the unprotected waterways are going to be transformed into dumping grounds.   The pollution of water does not only affect Missouri’s drinking water but also the wildlife habitats.
Water pollution affects the natural wildlife and...