The Missouri Sunshine Law, found in Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 610, RSMo, states that records of public governmental bodies are open to the public unless otherwise provided by law. The Sunshine Law applies to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and related Commissions and Boards, because these entities are public governmental bodies. All records, whether written or electronically stored, retained by a public body are subject to the Sunshine Law, unless a law specifically authorizes them to be closed. For more information about Missouri's Sunshine Law, please visit the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Sunshine Law webpage.
Fundamentally, the Sunshine Law is about ensuring public access to open meetings, as well as access to or copies of public records. The public has the right to view how public funds are spent and how government organizations operate. The Sunshine Law operates on a presumption that the records are open, and the department adheres to that presumption. The Sunshine Law sets out specific instances when a public meeting, record or vote may be closed, but gray areas do exist. In these instances, d eterminations about whether records should be closed are made by the department's Custodian of Records, in consultation with the department's General Counsel’s Office and/ or the Attorney General’s Office.
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA), also called an Environmental Due Diligence Audit, is meant to identify potential or existing environment-related risks and liabilities of a land property or commercial property. A Phase I ESA is a comprehensive research report of a property’s historical and current land uses in search of any possible environmental contamination liabilities, liens and concerns at the time of a real estate transaction/ disposal.
The Phase I ESA is generally considered the first step in the process, using multiple sources of information extensively. This assessment typically includes reports regarding groundwater, hazardous substances, toxic spills or releases, wastewater or drinking water issues or air emissions. The standard practice is to identify any environmental compliance violations, whether historical or current. There are tools available on the department's website that can help you perform a Phase I ESA for a property.
The department receives a high volume of Open Records/ Sunshine Law requests. Some requests take longer to complete. While many records are in electronic format, we may ask you to complete an in-house review of records in paper format. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the department's Custodian of Record by telephone at 573-751-9857 or email at custodianofrecord@dnr.mo.gov.
You can submit an Open Records Request either online through the department's Public Records Center system, or by mail to the following address:
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Attn: Custodian of Record
PO Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Please include the following required information with your records request:
Any information you provide to the department may be subject to disclosure upon request. If you have not been contacted by the department within three business days, contact the Custodian of Record to confirm receipt of your request.
The department may invoice requesters to recover costs incurred in fulfilling records requests. This includes staff research, review and/ or duplication time, as well a material costs, at the rates listed below.
Fee Waiver: Records may be furnished without charge or at a reduced charge if the requested information is likely to contribute to public understanding or benefit the general public and is not primarily for the commercial interest of the requester.
Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City , MO 65102
United States
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources does not endorse, make claims or promises, or provide warranties of accuracy, of any websites or related materials provided outside of this website. The department bears no responsibility for any damages arising from using these websites or related materials.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources' (the "Department") website can be translated into many different languages using Google™ Translate, a third-party service that provides automated computer translations of webpages. The Google™ Translate Service is offered as a convenience and is subject to applicable Google Terms of Service. Providing the service as a convenience is not an endorsement of the product or the results generated, and nothing herein should be construed as such an approval or endorsement.
The content of the Department's website originates in English. If there are differences between the English content and its translation, the English content is always the most accurate. By selecting a language from the Google Translate menu, the user accepts the legal implications of any misinterpretations or differences in the translation.
As Google's translation is an automated service it may display interpretations that are an approximation of the website's original content. You should not rely on Google™ Translate to provide an exact translation of the website. There are circumstances where the service does not translate correctly or where translations may not be possible, such as with certain file types (PDF, text and MS Excel documents), video content, and images containing text. In addition, some applications or services may not work as expected when translated.
The Department has no control over the nature, content, and availability of the service, and accordingly, cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the translation. Neither the Department nor its employees accept liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the translation or liability for any loss, damage, or other problem, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising from or in connection with using the Google™ Translate Service.
For assistance, please contact the Department of Natural Resources at 573-751-3443 or by email at dnrwebcontact@dnr.mo.gov. If you are having accessibility or usability issues with our website, please fill out an Accessibility Issue form.
Address:
1101 Riverside Drive
PO Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
United States
Telephone: 573-751-3443
Toll-free: 800-361-4827
Email: dnrwebcontact@dnr.mo.gov
