Toxic chemical contamination linked to Missouri power plant, lawsuit claims
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Claims that cancer-causing chemicals from a Missouri power plant have seeped into land and water for years has the attention of the federal government.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO.) said Sunday that he is “deeply concerned by the recent reports of toxic chemicals found in Henry County soil.”
Bill Steward and his wife, Sue, sued Evergy and three other companies earlier this month.
The suit claims Evergy now owns a coal-fired power plant in Montrose, Mo. Kansas City Power and Light previously owned the property. The lawsuit accuses the four companies of failing to take precautions while storing, disposing, and transporting hundreds of thousands of pounds of “Fly Ash.”
In a statement Evergy said its Montrose facility has a dust control plan in place. The plan includes visual observations to confirm it is in full compliance. The Fly Ash observations are conducted twice a day.
Fly Ash is a waste material from coal-burning power plants. It contains carcinogenic metals and chemicals. Companies sell fly ash that is then used in concrete.
According to the Steward’s lawsuit, chemicals from Fly Ash at the facility seeped into the air, soil, and water for decades.
The suit says the Steward’s property has been contaminated with toxic metals and cancer-causing substances because of the uncontrolled Fly Ash. Due to the contamination, the Stewards say they’ve been exposed to toxins for years, which has increased their risk for cancers and other illnesses.
The lawsuit claims Evergy has known about the contamination in Montrose, Mo., for over a decade.
In a statement, Evergy said it is in compliance with all requirements, and inspectors were at the Montrose facility on Jan. 24, 2025, to confirm its compliance.
The Steward’s lawsuit asks for a jury trial, medical monitoring for those living in the area, and money to cover property damage.
The claims of contamination gained concern Jan. 21, when Steward brought the issues to the Henry County Commissioner’s meeting.
At the meeting Steward presented what he described as tests from soil on his farmland. He says the tests show it is contaminated with hexium chromium.
“Hexavalent chromium is what the Erin Brockovich movie was about. We tested 15 sites in Davis around the lake. All of them came back bad,” Steward told commissioners. “Hexavalent chromium is not made in Missouri. It’s not coming from anything natural.”
Steward told the Henry County leaders that the contamination is so bad he can’t go home.
Steward said his kids are sick and he blames the chemicals from the plant.
The Davis R-12 School is also near the plant. The school cancelled classes Thursday and Friday as it waited for tests from its soil and water.
Steward said others in Henry County are in the process of getting their land tested. He said they aren’t sure yet how far the contamination spread.
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