SB 860: Relating to Weather Modification
Sponsor: Mike Moon
SUPPORT
As Introduced
SB 860 would ban "weather modification" in Missouri, including cloud seeding and other intentional attempts to artificially change atmospheric behavior. It creates a chemical disclosure requirement and a $25 million bond for atmospheric deployments, while expanding state environmental commissions to include weather modification expertise.
What Does This Bill Do?
- Complete Prohibition: Makes it unlawful to use any form of weather modification in Missouri, including cloud seeding and atmospheric-altering activities.
- Reporting & Accountability: Requires entities deploying chemicals into the atmosphere to disclose contents to DNR and post a $25,000,000 bond for environmental damages.
- Citizen Enforcement: Directs DNR to create a public reporting portal, investigate every report, and file civil actions if violations are found.
Constitutional or Critical Context
While the bill's title is specific, the operational impact is broad. The $25M bond requirement and "deploying any chemical" trigger are designed to chill geoengineering activity, but should damper weather modification efforts in Missouri.
Red Flags & Recommended Amendments
Bureaucratic Growth
The bill expands the Air Conservation and Clean Water commissions and mandates investigations of every report, so it does increase government, but we believe this falls under the proper scope of government.
Vague Definitions
Phrases like "deploying any chemical" and "manipulate the environment" lack tight legal standards, though this prevents entities from using "word games" to bypass the ban.
Act for Missouri Recommendation:
This bill is a step toward protecting Missouri's sky and water from serving as a laboratory for Geoengineering firms. We support the bill as it asserts state sovereignty and provides transparency for Missouri citizens.