AGP Executive Report

PFAS Watch: Testing around Montana’s Flathead Lake found multiple “forever chemicals” in lake and tributaries, with researchers urging broader monitoring even though legal drinking-water benchmarks weren’t exceeded. Water & Sewer Upgrades: Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources awarded Jacksonville a $50,000 Clean Water Engineering Report Grant to evaluate wastewater systems and reduce stormwater inflow/infiltration. Brownfields Cleanup: Kansas City-area brownfields commissions are seeing millions in federal cleanup money, including a nearly $4 million grant in Kansas City, Kansas, as EPA award limits shift. Invasive Species Funding: USDA is offering $35 million for feral swine eradication and control across multiple states including Missouri, with an application deadline of Sept. 21. Heat & Grid Reliability: The DOE authorized emergency backup power for 17 states, including Missouri, to reduce blackout risk during an extreme heat wave. Outdoor Learning: Missouri State Parks and MDC are rolling out summer nature programming, including MDC’s Missouri State Fair conservation events and invasive species activities. Health Alert: Missouri is seeing cases tied to a growing cyclospora outbreak, with state health officials urging precautions.

Feral Swine Funding: USDA is making $35M available for partnerships to fight feral swine in Missouri and 14 other states, part of a $105M pilot to protect agriculture, landscapes, and human and livestock health. Rural Health Access: Missouri is using a federal Rural Health Transformation grant to expand maternal care support in rural areas, including a partnership to grow the doula workforce and help fill “maternal health care deserts.” Extreme Heat Safety: Missouri forecasters warn of dangerous heat indexes, and health officials stress the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke—plus who should take extra precautions on hot days. Grid Reliability Under Heat: The DOE authorized emergency backup power for 17 states, including Missouri, to reduce blackout risk during a heat wave. Native Habitat & Pollinators: A Missouri study finds messier, more natural yards draw more native bees, highlighting the value of diverse plants and undisturbed nesting areas. Conservation Events: MDC is bringing hands-on nature programming to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, including invasive species demos and floating wetlands. Food Safety Alert: CDC reports nearly 100 illnesses tied to a massive egg recall linked to Salmonella, with Missouri among states reporting cases.

Wildlife as a health check: A West Plains restoration expert says native birds and pollinators often return only when land conditions are truly improving, not just when fences look cleaner. Native-bee-friendly yards: A St. Louis-area study finds “messier” prairie-like gardens draw more native bees than manicured landscaping, pointing to nesting and overwintering habitat as key. Heat and health: Mid-Missouri is seeing warmer summer nights tied to climate change, raising heat-stress risks even after the sun goes down. Pesticide labeling fight: A U.S. Supreme Court ruling limits state failure-to-warn claims for pesticides, tightening federal control over warning labels. Glyphosate exposure concern: A new study links higher glyphosate levels during pregnancy with higher risk of preterm labor. Feral swine funding: USDA is making $35 million available for partnerships to combat feral swine, citing major harm to habitats, soils, water quality, and agriculture. Waterway education: An Ozarks group is bringing hands-on water quality lessons to students to focus on everyday choices that protect streams. Local infrastructure planning: Kansas City received $1M to plan major improvements to US-71 and I-35 aimed at reconnecting neighborhoods and reducing safety and environmental impacts. St. Louis heat wave: A report highlights extreme heat warnings and humidity-driven heat-index dangers across Missouri and nearby states. Mold lawsuit allowed to proceed: A federal judge denied summary judgment in a Missouri tenant’s mold and water-intrusion case, sending key disputes to trial.

Extreme Heat Watch: National Weather Service warnings cover parts of Missouri and other states as a dangerous heat wave pushes triple digits, with officials urging people to stay out of the sun and hydrate. Water Infrastructure Stress: St. Louis-area utilities warn that hotter summers can mean more water main breaks as higher demand increases pressure on aging pipes. Neighborhood Reconnection & Pollution Relief: Kansas City received a $1M USDOT grant to plan major improvements to US-71 and I-35, aiming to reconnect neighborhoods and reduce noise, pollution, and speeding while adding walkable streets and green space. Farm Fertility Shift: Missouri producers are using food processing residuals as a lower-cost fertilizer alternative, boosting soil organic matter while cutting reliance on expensive synthetic inputs. Hands-On Water Education: An Ozarks conservation group is bringing water quality lessons to classrooms and the creek, focusing on everyday choices that affect clean water for people and wildlife. Regenerative Grazing Learning: Missouri’s Greg Judy is set to speak at a regenerative grazing conference in Oklahoma, highlighting practical grazing and wildlife habitat strategies. Public Nature Events: Missouri Department of Conservation invites residents to a nature photography event at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs.

Farm Costs Under Pressure: A Harvest Public Media “Tough Times” report profiles Nebraska farmers Ben and Paula Sue Steffen, saying this year’s diesel and fertilizer bills are being matched by a shock jump in health insurance—more than doubling from 2025. Heat Watch for Missouri: The National Weather Service warns hazardous heat could hit the central U.S. through Monday, with major heat risk mapped for Missouri and nearby states and heat indices that can turn deadly without cooling or hydration. Monarch Habitat Effort: A new St. Louis film spotlights conservation work to protect the plant monarch caterpillars rely on, as Missouri’s native prairie shrinks to tiny remnants. Local Land-Use Fight: In Lemay, residents oppose a plan to fill an inactive quarry with millions of cubic yards of material over 10–15 years, citing health and neighborhood disruption concerns. EV Charging Expansion: Rangeway says it’s bringing a hospitality-style EV charging concept to the St. Louis area, aiming for covered stations, lounges, and possible overnight lodging. Wildlife Jobs & Research: Missouri S&T’s junior faculty award recognizes environmental engineering work, while an Iowa wildlife technician posting points to ongoing habitat and public land management needs.

Heat Watch: The National Weather Service warns “hazardous heat” could hit the central U.S. through Monday, with major heat risks stretching into Missouri and nearby states and heat indices possibly turning dangerous for people without reliable cooling. Local Land Use Fight: In Lemay, residents are pushing back on a plan to fill an inactive quarry with about 3 million cubic yards of material over 10 to 15 years, arguing the long-running truck traffic and heavy equipment could harm health and disrupt neighborhoods. Pollinator Conservation: A new St. Louis film spotlights painstaking hand-pollination work to save Mead’s milkweed, a key monarch caterpillar food, as Missouri prairie habitat shrinks to tiny fragments. Wildlife & Water Outdoors: A Missouri nature guide highlights Mingo National Wildlife Refuge as a place to hike, paddle, fish, and spot wildlife—plus a quick boardwalk walk through wetlands. Research Spotlight: Missouri S&T assistant professor Dr. Hunter Schroer received an ORAU junior faculty award for work linking synthetic biology and bioengineering to environmental engineering, including clean water and sustainable materials.

Heat & Health: The National Weather Service warns “hazardous heat” could hit much of the central U.S. through Monday, with Missouri among the states facing major heat risks—especially dangerous for people without reliable cooling. Water & Wildlife: Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence County is seeing early results from a floating wetland island in Mary’s Lake, designed to create habitat, boost pollinators and help clean lake water. Contaminated Land Cleanup: Lawrence is still working through legacy pollution from the former Farmland Industries fertilizer plant, with millions already spent and more remediation projected. Local Land-Use Fight: In Lemay, residents are pushing back on a plan to fill an inactive quarry for 10–15 years, arguing the heavy truck traffic and long-term construction would disrupt health and neighborhoods. Monarch Habitat Effort: St. Louis-area scientists are hand-pollinating Mead’s milkweed to help monarch caterpillars as native prairie shrinks to tiny fragments. EV Charging Expansion: Rangeway is bringing a hospitality-style EV charging concept to the St. Louis area, aiming for covered stations and lounge-like “waystations.”

Monarch butterfly conservation: A new St. Louis short film, “Intervention,” spotlights scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden hand-pollinating Mead’s milkweed—the last food for monarch caterpillars—because tiny prairie remnants can’t self-pollinate and are surrounded by housing and cornfields. Heat and power bills: With triple-digit heat returning to Missouri, a local report points to the EPA’s Energy Star guidance of setting AC to 78°F for balance between comfort and cost. EV charging in Missouri: A California startup, Rangeway, is expanding into the St. Louis area with a more “hospitality” style charging plan—covered stations, indoor lounges, and potential overnight lodging. Local land-use fight: South County residents are pushing back on a proposal to fill an inactive quarry in Lemay with millions of cubic yards of material over 10–15 years, citing health and neighborhood disruption concerns. Wildlife outing: A guide highlights Mingo National Wildlife Refuge as a low-stress way to hike, paddle, fish, and spot wildlife—starting with an A/C-friendly auto tour. Wildlife careers: Missouri S&T’s civil/environmental engineering professor won an ORAU junior faculty award, while a separate wildlife technician posting points to ongoing habitat work in the region.

Heat & energy costs: A new round of triple-digit heat is expected to return across Missouri, with the National Weather Service forecasting mid-90s to around 100°F and heat indices near 110°F—U.S. EPA Energy Star recommends setting AC to 78°F. Local land-use fight: St. Louis County planners delayed a proposal to fill an inactive quarry near Lemay with about 3 million cubic yards of material over 10–15 years, after neighbors raised health and disruption concerns. Wildlife & habitat: Maryville’s Mozingo Lake restoration is in its first summer of wildflower bloom after invasive trees and plants were removed, with funding split between the city and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Water conservation push: The Great Outdoors Foundation unveiled Watershed26, a shared action plan aimed at improving Upper Mississippi watershed health and cutting pollution tied to agriculture. Invasive species watch: Missouri confirmed an invasive Asian needle ant in Springfield, adding to the state’s growing list of ecological threats. Agriculture climate tech: MU Extension and partners promoted hands-on programs like the Missouri Steer Feedout, while broader Midwest regenerative wheat efforts continue to expand.

Wildlife & Wetlands: Missouri’s federally endangered pondberry faces a new threat as laurel wilt disease—spread by a non-native beetle—creeps north toward the Ozarks, raising alarms for wetland habitat and the broader ecosystem. Waterways Cleanup: Missouri Stream Teams and MDC staff highlight decades of tire removal from rivers and streams, with volunteers removing hundreds of tons statewide and pushing for cleaner waterways. Air Quality & Health: A Milwaukee man created “SmokeDar,” an app built to help people track wildfire smoke exposure more clearly than standard air-quality numbers—an approach that matters as smoky conditions can hit the Midwest. Invasive Species Watch: Missouri is also dealing with invasive pressure, including reports of an invasive Asian needle ant in Springfield, adding to the state’s growing list of ecological threats. Agriculture Biosecurity: USDA is putting $35 million toward feral swine control to protect farms, landscapes, and livestock health. Data Centers & Costs: Trump expanded a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” aimed at shifting data-center infrastructure costs away from consumers, a move that could reshape local environmental and utility impacts.

Waterway Cleanup: Missouri Stream Teams volunteer Brian Waldrop says abandoned tires still plague Plattin Creek near Festus, and his decades of work with the group and the Missouri Department of Conservation show how persistent trash removal is for healthier waterways. Boating Safety: A Tracy City man survived and a Missouri man died after a two-boat crash on Tennessee’s Tims Ford Lake near the Bass Club ramp, underscoring ongoing risks on waterways. Pipeline Fight: Environmental groups sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a reissued Nationwide Permit 12 that they say would fast-track pipeline impacts to wetlands, streams, rivers, and wildlife habitat. Food Safety & Waterborne Risk: Cyclosporiasis cases keep rising in the Kansas City metro, with Missouri reporting new cases tied to recalled lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico. Regenerative Farming: General Mills, ADM, and Walmart launched a regenerative wheat push across 40,000 acres in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, aiming to improve soil health and water quality. Invasive Species: USDA is offering $35 million for feral swine control in 14 states including Missouri, while Missouri also faces invasive threats like snakehead fish and invasive worms. Heat & Storms: Flash-flood emergencies and another heat dome are raising the stakes for outdoor safety across the region.

Heat & storms: A new heat dome is set to push triple-digit temperatures across much of the U.S., raising heat illness risks while severe weather odds shift as summer progresses. Flood risk: July is already bringing flash flood emergencies, including Missouri’s recent 1,000-year rainfall event that rescued campers. Missouri water & wildlife: Missouri and Tennessee saw deadly personal watercraft crashes on Tims Ford Lake, while a Missouri bear sighting highlights how expanding black bear populations can bring wildlife into yards. Invasive species: A hammerhead worm (shovel-headed garden worm) was recently spotted in Alabama, with guidance on safe removal and why it threatens soil health. Agriculture & safer pest control: Pairwise licensed Fulcrum CRISPR tools to Agragene to support more targeted, biological pest control via sterile insect technology. Regenerative farming: General Mills, ADM, and Walmart are expanding regenerative wheat practices across 40,000 Midwest acres, aiming at soil health and water quality. Power & data centers: Midwest utilities are asking regulators to reduce competition for new large transmission lines tied to AI demand, while a separate push seeks broader “ratepayer protection” pledges. Food safety: FDA recalled 1.5 million dozen eggs across six states due to Salmonella risk. Missouri health: Missouri’s pregnancy-associated mortality review finds many maternal deaths are preventable, with cardiovascular disease and mental health/substance use leading causes. Local conservation: Missouri’s Osage County stream bank project is getting state funding to protect a farm from flooding and erosion.

Food Safety Shock in the Midwest: Cyclosporiasis cases are surging in Kansas, with Johnson County leading the jump (289 cases reported Wednesday; Missouri logged 216 through last weekend). Health officials say the parasite is usually spread through contaminated food, with investigators pointing to iceberg lettuce tied to Taylor Farms and Taco Bell. Invasive Species Watch: Missouri has confirmed an invasive Asian needle ant in Springfield, with MU Extension researchers comparing specimens to verify the first local report. Agriculture & Soil Support: MU Extension is rolling out Field to Consumer Farm Tours and expanding farm education and research capacity, including upgrades at extension sites. Regenerative Farming Push: ADM, General Mills, and Walmart are partnering to help farmers adopt regenerative practices on 40,000 Midwestern wheat acres, including in Missouri. Water & Livestock Health: Missouri livestock producers are being warned that hot weather and wet conditions can raise foot rot risk in cattle. Local Health Systems: Missouri Rural Health Transformation selected 27 hospital “hub anchor” organizations to coordinate care improvements across rural communities.

MU Extension: New state-funded upgrades are boosting University of Missouri Extension’s reach, from faster small-plot research gear at the Graves-Chapple center to expanded education programming and hands-on Farm Tours for Missouri producers. Regenerative farming: ADM, General Mills, and Walmart are backing regenerative wheat practices across 40,000 acres in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, aiming to enroll 200+ farmers with incentives and technical help. Water safety: Sedalia warned residents about a potential hazardous algae bloom at Spring Fork Lake, advising people to avoid swimming/wading and not eat fish from the lake. Wildlife & habitat: International recognition spotlights rangelands and pastoralists, while North Dakota’s virtual fencing work shows how ranching tech can support wildlife habitat. Energy grid fight: Midwest utilities, including Ameren and Evergy, are pushing regulators to limit competition for new multi-state power lines—an issue that hits Missouri’s grid planning. Boating tragedy: A Missouri man died and another was seriously injured after a personal watercraft crash on Tennessee’s Tims Ford Lake.

Data Centers & Local Control: St. Louis aldermen are finalizing zoning rules for data centers after Mayor Cara Spencer said criticism is “rooted in reality,” while Nodaway County commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on new data centers as opponents pressed for answers on impacts and what can happen during the pause. Air & Water Safety: Sedalia warned residents about a potential hazardous algae bloom at Springfork Lake, urging people to avoid swimming/wading and not eat fish; Cassville officials raised concerns about a proposed sludge-storage tank near city wells in karst terrain. Climate-Linked Hazards: A report on “disaster fatigue” highlights how repeated flash flooding is draining community resources, with Missouri included in recent rescue-and-evacuation impacts. Outdoor & Wildlife Education: Fontenelle Forest drew crowds for an insect survey and night trapping, and raptor ambassadors returned to the Bennington Public Library to teach conservation. Public Health Reminder: Jefferson County health officials urged early lead testing for kids in the former Lead Belt, citing contamination spread from floods and fill dirt and elevated lead in some private wells.

Missouri Water Watch: Cassville officials are raising alarms about a proposed 900,000-gallon sludge-storage tank near five city wells, warning that Missouri’s karst groundwater could be vulnerable to contamination if the DNR approves the operating permit. Renewable Energy in Columbia: Columbia City Council approved a 2026 renewable energy plan (23.5% renewables in 2026, with a target of 30% by 2029) and also moved forward on other infrastructure items, including stormwater code changes. Invasive Species Alert: University of Missouri and Lincoln University researchers say an invasive Asian needle ant has been identified in Missouri, with experts tracing how the first reports surfaced through public observations. Health & Food Safety: Missouri health officials report 216 cyclosporiasis cases statewide as investigations continue to pinpoint the source, while the broader U.S. outbreak remains confusing after shifting lab results tied to iceberg lettuce. Climate & Weather Pressure: A heatwave tied to Tropical Storm Bertha is expanding across the region, with Missouri among states under heat advisories and risks of dangerous, prolonged exposure. Outdoor & Wildlife Management: Missouri’s Conservation Department is changing 2026 hunting rules, including higher permit fees and revised zones, as chronic wasting disease management continues to shape deer regulations.