Unqualified Individuals Appointed to Missouri Clean Water Commission

Unqualified Individuals Appointed to Missouri Clean Water Commission

On December 6, 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced the appointment of three new members to the state’s Clean Water Commission. The three new members — Stan Coday, John Kleiboeker and Pat Thomas — appear to lack appropriate qualifications for serving on the Commission. Each has close ties to the agricultural industry:

• Coday is a farmer and retired agriculture teacher from Mansfield, Missouri, and serves as president of the Wright County Farm Bureau;
• Kleiboeker is the owner of Kleiboeker’s Clover Creek Farms in Stotts City and previously served as the executive director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council; and
• Thomas is the chief of staff for state Senator Brian Munzlinger and secretary of the Missouri Republican Party State Committee.

As a result of the new appointments, a majority of the Commission’s members now come from industry, which opponents say is inappropriate given that it is responsible for granting permits to large factory farms.