Concerned Citizens of Platte County
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Concerned Citizens of Platte County Newsletter
May 2010
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in this issue
PACE Legislation passes in MO
Local Control of CAFOs saved again!
Platte County's Green Build Program wins National award
Meet MVC at Boulevard Brewery - June 3
PACE Legislation passes in MO, Kansas will need to try again 
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Incredibly, PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), passed the MO Legislature at the last minute.  PACE is a policy that allows cities and counties to opt into a program that pays for up to 100% of the upfront costs of renewable energy and energy efficiency renovations for homes and businesses. Homeowners pay for the improvements over a long period of time via their property taxes.  If they move, the new owner takes over the payments.  The next step is for local municipalities to take advantage of this program.  Although it did not pass in Kansas, perhaps a little peer pressure from over the state line will help next year.
Local Control of CAFOs saved again!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The MO Legislature again tried and failed to invalidate our local health ordinances that protect our homes from factory animal farms.  Why are our health ordinances important?  Read the story of a woman from Gallatin, MO who has been fighting pollution for a nearby livestock barn for 4 years to no avail.  Also note the recent spill of hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater from a hog production facility in Platte County into a nearby creek. The Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources is horribly underfunded and understaffed and can't properly protect homeowners from huge corporate agri-businesses.  We need to thank the Missouri Rural Crisis Center for again leading the charge to keep industrial agricultural regulation at the local level. 
Platte County's Green Build Program wins National Award
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Platte County, MO was named Green Building Advocate of the Year by the National Association of Homebuilders on May 18 in Raleigh, NC for their Green Build program encouraging energy efficient homebuilding in the county. 
 
Meet MVC event at Boulevard Brewery - June 3  
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Missouri Votes Conservation is a non-partisan statewide organization that advocates for pro-environment legislation and political candidates in Missouri. The group has been more active in the St. Louis side of the state but is expanding it's presence to KC with the addition of new board members, including CCPC former Chair, Debbie Woehrman and Bridging the Gap's Former Executive Director, Phelps Murdock.  MVC will be hosting a "Get to know us" event at Boulevard Brewery on June 3 from 5-7:30pm.  The beer and food will be great and the conversation enlightening!
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phone: 816-877-6760
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