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Boone County, Columbia and University of Missouri leaders are working on a stakeholder committee to clean up Hinkson Creek.

Committee members want to put more pollution control measures in place for the waterway.

The stakeholder committee includes homeowners, developers, environmental advocates and local government leaders.  The Environmental Protection Agency and state officials agreed to let committee members take steps toward reducing pollution and restoring aquatic life in Hinkson Creek.  The creek hasn’t been tested since 2006.

Boone County Commissioner Karen Miller said, “Through this agreement that we have with the EPA and the other entities, DNR will test the stream twice a year to get a base line measurement of how it is today, six years later.  We will work on making improvements along the way.”

EPA Officials want to reduce storm water runoff into Hinkson Creek by nearly 40%.  Boone County, Columbia and the University of Missouri share a permit that allows storm water runoff into Hinkson Creek and other waterways.  The 16-member committee wants to reach the EPA’s goal of 40% runoff reduction, but realize that could take years.

Sierra Club member Ken Midkiff said, “Hinkson Creek will never be cleaned up in my lifetime.  It took a long time to get this polluted.  It’s going to take a long time to clean it up.”

A long, legal fight over Hinkson Creek’s pollution problems delayed progress in cleaning up the waterway.  Committee members hope those problems are just water under the bridge with 5 governmental entities in agreement.

Government officials identified Hinkson Creek as an impaired stream in 1998.