Missouri
Enforcement Actions
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says the main goal of its compliance and enforcement teams is compliance with environmental laws at the state's regulated facilities and sites. It says they mainly get there through conference, conciliation and persuasion (CC&P), an informal process several state laws require, which typically runs no more than 180 days, though some violations, such as an imminent and serious threat, go to formal action sooner. When violations continue, the department says it uses formal enforcement actions, which include suspending or revoking a permit and abatement or administrative orders, with or without consent. It can also refer a case to the Attorney General's Office, and it says formal enforcement actions through litigation include settlement agreements, consent judgments and court orders.
In a Phase I ESA
ASTM E1527-21 does not name state enforcement records among its standard record sources. An order involving the property or a neighboring facility can show a violation the department pursued and what it required to correct it. Three Missouri details shape the search.
- The list holds actions now in effect. The department says its Enforcement Actions page lists currently effective enforcement actions involving entities it regulates, and that not all of its enforcement actions are on its website. For an action not on the list, the department points to a Sunshine Law request (below).
- An order can carry more than a deadline. The department says formal actions typically require the responsible party to follow a schedule for coming into compliance at the facility or site, and may require a penalty, cost recovery or damages.
- The search spans many programs. Its area of focus filter lists air, land reclamation, oil and gas, dam and reservoir, drinking water, hazardous waste, solid waste, tires, underground storage tanks, wastewater, and wells and drilling. Its enforcement types are abatement orders on consent, administrative orders with or without consent, administrative penalty orders, consent decrees, consent judgments, formal complaints, injunctions, judgments and settlement agreements.
When the page was read on October 16, 2026, its year filter offered 2013 through 2024, while its list also showed actions dated 2026. Search without a year to see the newest.
Where to look a site up
- The department's Enforcement Actions page searches by title, keywords, enforcement type, year and area of focus, and the listed actions link to their documents. The department says it is an "and" search, in which a record must meet every criterion entered, and suggests using fewer criteria if a record does not appear.
- The Letters of Warning and Notices of Violation Search, which the department's Compliance Assistance and Enforcement page links.
- Both pages give the department's main line, 573-751-3443, and dnrwebcontact@dnr.mo.gov.
Getting the file
The department says that if you cannot find the record you need, you can submit a Sunshine Law request to its Custodian of Record. A notice on the Enforcement Actions page says open records requests are taking longer than expected because of high volume and staffing shortages.
Sources
Missouri Department of Natural Resources pages, read October 16, 2026, no modified date shown: