Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a two-day symposium to explore the total range of water-quality issues confronting the Lake of the Ozarks today and over the next 20 years. The Symposium will explore scientific, technical and regulatory challenges and solutions to ensure the protection of natural resources.
For Koster, the event represents a piece of an ongoing effort to enforce clean water laws. In the past six months, at least four Lake of the Ozarks water and wastewater system owners settled court cases with the attorney general's office. Most of the AG's referrals are for failing to test and monitor public drinking water or for improperly discharging contaminated wastewater.
“The past two years have focused attention on discreet issues, such as e-coli contamination, at the Lake of the Ozarks. However, the long-term health of the lake is dependent on our ability to address a significant number of critical issues beyond those currently being discussed,” Koster said. “This Symposium is intended to bring together the best minds in our state in order to ensure the Lake of the Ozarks is protected and respected for generations to come.”
The Attorney General’s Symposium, “Protecting Water Quality at Lake of the Ozarks: An Environmental Road Map for the Future,” will feature experts on issues critical to the Lake of the Ozarks, including current water quality; pollution sources; risks of water-borne illnesses; water-quality regulation; and local and regional solutions for water-quality protection both in the short and long term. According to Koster, the Symposium is designed to spur action, will include a discussion of how to fund improvements, and will result in a paper to be released prior to the session of the Missouri General Assembly.
The Attorney General’s Symposium will be held Aug. 17 and 18 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, and will be open to the public. Governor Jay Nixon will open the Symposium with an address at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 17.
The agenda for the Symposium is being finalized and will be available on the Attorney General’s website at http://ago.mo.gov
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