Polluting cave or subsurface waters
This law makes it a crime to put harmful stuff into caves, sinkholes, or underground water in Missouri. The harmful stuff means anything that would break Missouri's clean water rules. There are exceptions — storm water drainage, refilling underground water supplies, irrigation runoff, fixing natural drainage, and underground mining operations are not covered by this law. Breaking this law is a class A misdemeanor.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
569.137. Polluting cave or — . — 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) "", the caves in a given area related to each other hydrologically, whether continuous or discontinuous from a single opening;
(2) "", a hollow place or depression in the ground in which drainage may collect with an opening therefrom into an underground channel or cave including any opening that might be bridged by a formation of silt, gravel, humus, or any other through which percolation into the channel or cave may occur.
2. A person commits the of polluting cave or subsurface waters if he or she purposely introduces into any cave, cave system, sinkhole or subsurface waters of the state any substance or structure that will or could violate any of the Missouri clean water law as set forth in chapter 644, or any water quality standard or pursuant .
3. The of this section do not apply:
(1) Where natural subsurface drainage systems including, without limitation, caves, cave systems, sinkholes, fissures and related openings are used for purposes of storm water drainage, of aquifers, and irrigation flow, and where modifications of natural drainage systems are made for purposes of improving natural drainage relationships; or
(2) To vertical or horizontal underground mining operations.
4. No additional may be made for the of this section.
5. The offense of polluting cave or subsurface waters is a .
Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.
Source & history notes
(L. 1980 H.B. 1192 § 4, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491) Transferred 2014; formerly 578.215; Effective 1-01-17
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.