A Homeowner's Experience with Commercial Open Pit Burning in Clinton County MO
Discover the reality of open pit burning near residential areas in Clinton County MO. Beware, it could happen to you!
A short video details our struggles with a tree cutting company that is open pit burning next door
A Homeowner's Experience with Commercial Open Pit Burning in Clinton County MO
Discover the reality of open pit burning near residential areas in Clinton County MO. Beware, it could happen to you!
A short video details our struggles with a tree cutting company that is open pit burning next door
The Real Pictures
November Update - many more videos and photos
Trucks continue
Burning continues
Large acrid black clouds of smoke with the smell of diesel
Ash on the neighbors deck
The smell of smoke inside several neighbors' house
Air quality issues? likely
Environmentally poor practice? many would say "yes" especially if diesel is being used improperly as an accelerant. What would that do to the watershed? Those downstream have no choice.
Its one thing when people tout sustainable practices, but when they do the opposite, that's rich
Awareness:
Sharing our story to help fellow homeowners beware.
© 2025. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
We are in no way accusing the subject(s) of this story with any criminal wrongdoing. In fact, all of the appropriate regulatory bodies were initially contacted. All refused to provide any assistance, asserting that all laws (more appropriately the absence of law) are being followed. All of the facts shared in this story are supported by video and photo evidence. Unfortunately, unfettered open pit burning is apparently being allowed in Clinton County MO. Could that have something to do with location choice? We do not know. urse we did ask them to stop ultimately to no avail.
Clinton County Zoning
Phone: 816-539-3722
Hours: 8:30 – 4:30 (Lunch 1 hour)
Mailing Address: 207 N. Main St. – Room #3 – Zoning, Plattsburg, MO 64477
Email: cczoning@clintoncomo.gov
For Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), now part of Evergy, the person responsible for overseeing vegetation management, including the hiring of tree-trimming crews, is likely David Martin, the Director of Distribution Contractor Operations. He is referred to as the “tree guy” at Evergy and manages the crews that maintain trees and vegetation across Evergy’s service area in Kansas City, Missouri, and eastern Kansas. His role includes coordinating with local tree service companies, overseeing 175 contracted crews (about 500 workers), and managing tree-related maintenance to prevent power line issues. While his direct contact information isn’t publicly available, you can reach out to Evergy’s main customer service line at 888-471-5275 and request to speak with someone in the vegetation management department or directly with David Martin’s office. Alternatively, you can submit a request through Evergy’s website (www.evergy.com) (www.evergy.com) under the “Contact Us” or “Tree Trimming” sections to connect with the appropriate corporate manager
For FEMA’s vegetation management efforts, the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division oversees grants that fund such projects. The Director of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division, currently Erin Hoffman (Acting Associate Administrator) is a key figure responsible for managing these programs, including approving contracts for vegetation management. However, specific hiring of tree-trimming crews would likely fall to contractors or state/local partners funded by FEMA grants. To contact FEMA about vegetation management or related grant programs, you can reach out through the FEMA Regional Office for Region 7 (which includes Kansas City, Missouri) at 816-283-7060 or via the FEMA website (www.fema.gov) (www.fema.gov) under the “Contact Us” section.