What is it? That is the question everyone is asking? What are the chemicals and how much of them has Evergy allegedly been pumping into our water? Or better yet, how much contaminated dust has been flowing through our air, onto our playgrounds and near our schools? Is Evergy even behind any of it or could it be something completely unknown? Could the testing come back that the levels are within reason? If they are within reason, could they still be the cause of so many problems?
On Monday night, January 27, 2025, at 6:30 pm, a meeting was held at the Benson Center in Clinton. Chuck Caisley; along with Jared Morrison, Director of Environmental Services for Evergy; as well as John Brinson, who runs the power plants for Evergy were in attendance. They began the conversation and stated that they wanted to get to the facts of the case. Caisley attempted to make it abundantly clear to the people of Clinton and the surrounding areas that he does not want anything harmful hurting the soil, the water, or the air. He, along with his colleagues, explained that before anything is dumped into the water, it is tested thoroughly. Ensuring it meets regulations, all of the dust-like particles are made into a cement-like substance and then buried beneath the landfill dirt, that way they cannot get into the air. Essentially everything they do is done with safety in mind.
Furthermore, they added that if something is not being done correctly, they too would want to know (as they also have families that live here).
However, the people of Clinton have a hard time believing them, citing things they have seen with their own eyes, to the things they have heard, to the health problems they’ve had.
Clinton’s Cynthia Smith shared her story on the topic and how it has affected her personally.
She stated, “Everybody was getting sick so we finally had the water tested and, of course, as usual, not the water.”
She said that all of her friends started getting cancer. Smith, however, drinks bottled water and she did not get sick. She knew something was wrong with the water, and that was what hurt her friends, she believes.
Many of the other attendees also claimed that this is not a new thing; that this has been something that has been going on for years; that it’s simply been swept under the rug. For instance, it was said by many people at the meeting that Congressman Mark Alford had known about the issue since 2024. Mr. Alford claims that, although he had known about the incident since 2024, he acted on it immediately and that other people were not getting back to him in a timely manner.
Many other personal testimonies were presented and questions were asked throughout the night, not only to the Evergy team but also to members of the Henry County Commission in Rick Watson, Jake Bradley, Mark Larson and Jim Stone, as well as Congressmen Alford and Representative Jim Kalberloh.
The people of Clinton and the surrounding area want to know what the people in power will do to help them if these toxic chemicals have been and are becoming a problem, not only for the people of Clinton, but for the people of Missouri as a whole.
This material waste known as “fly ash” could potentially become a very large problem for the health and safety of the public. At the public forum on Monday, Evergy representatives concluded that they will have a third party obtain test results and that the people in power and Evergy will attempt to work together to figure out if something has gone wrong. If something has indeed gone wrong or handled inappropriately, they will also work on how to fix it.
Citizens are still angry, and rightfully so. The effects of this particular nuisance are said to be harmful to not only them, but also their children, their animals, and farmer’s crops.
Although the questions that the community hoped would be answered, were not done in completion at Monday night’s meeting, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and very soon the answers that the community seeks will be given, providing truth to the people who call Missouri, and more importantly, Henry County home.
