DNR to take comments at Crowder College in Neosho June 25

By Sheila Harris [email protected]

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host an in-person public meeting on June 25 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in response to requests and concerns about the proposed operation of sludge storage tanks in Barry, Hickory and Newton Counties, including one tank that will be located two miles north of Cassville.

The public hearing will be held at Crowder College, located at 601 Laclede Ave in Neosho. At the meeting, the DNR will receive public comments about the department’s proposed permit decisions for the tanks.

HydroAg Environmental, LLC, proposes to build a new storage tank designed to hold a maximum volume of 828,994 gallons, with one foot of freeboard space maintained above that volume, at all times.

“When accounting for the 12 inches of freeboard, the tank has a capacity of 905,688 gallon which is designed for inclement weather use, with integrated secondary containment,” the DNR’s draft permit states.

According to the proposed permit, the storage tank will be placed within in a synthetic-lined, bermed tertiary containment system, capable of holding a maximum of 1,088,415 gallons, or 131% of the tank operating capacity.

HydroAg’s storage tank will be located along the east side of Farm Road 1095, approximately two miles north of Cassville, on land owned by Mike Henbest.

According to the DNR’s draft permit, the proposed Cassville storage structure is not required to meet the comingled setback distances established in 2024 by 644.051.8(2), RSMo, because the tank will have a storage volume of less than 2.5 million gallons.

Monthly grab samples of contents will be checked monthly for measurements of nutrients, bacteria and metals.

The Cassville storage tank will be classified as a no-discharge facility, from which leaks, spills and unauthorized discharges of its food and meat industrial waste are prohibited.

“This permit may be revoked for cause if the facility cannot maintain the tank as no-discharge,” the DNR’s draft permit states.

Denali Water Solutions also proposes to build two sludge storage tanks at other locations in southwest Missouri with the same volume-capacity: one located along County Road 350, near Humansville, and second tank along Highway J., west of Wentworth.

The permit applications for both Denali and HydroAg were signed by the same representative, Marcus Tilley, and both companies list the same business address: P.O. Box 550 in Russellville, Ark.

In conjunction with the public meeting, public comment periods have been reopened for the three proposed storage tanks.

The draft permit for the Cassville Storage Tanks (MO-0141020) can be found at https://tinyurl.com/mpht2fn9.

The draft permit for the El Dorado (Humansville) storage tank (MO-0141003) can be found at https://tinyurl.com/kpb9sx2h.

The draft permit for the Wentworth storage tank (MO-0140953) can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2a6wck8h.

Instructions for comment submissions for the Cassville storage tank can be found at https://tinyurl.com/t2a5v8sv.

All comments for the storage facilities must be received by 5 p.m. on July 1, 2026.

If residents are unable to attend the in-person public meeting in Neosho, a virtual hearing will be held via Webex on June 29 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Public hearings will be conducted according to 10 CSR 20-6.020.

Anyone wishing to make a comment can sign up at the meeting, where time will be allotted to share their comments on the proposed permit decisions, the DNR states.