A New Site in the County’s Water Search Gets the Go-Ahead for Testing
LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. — Lincoln County commissioners approved a $23,932 groundwater test near Foley on Thursday, taking the first step toward finding out whether county-owned property there could provide better water quality than sites previously studied.
It was one of the few decisions at a lightly attended meeting. All three commissioners — Presiding Commissioner Joe Kaimann and Associate Commissioners Mike Mueller and Matt Bass — were present. They approved minutes from their Sept. 10 and Sept. 15 meetings, and no one spoke during the scheduled public comment period.
Matt Beger, who was listed separately on the agenda, then spent time questioning commissioners about Ameren’s proposed battery storage project. Beger, a resident and candidate for Missouri House District 41, said people near the site still want clearer answers about the batteries and potential health risks.
He asked whether commissioners would hold an evening meeting for residents. They said they have not decided to schedule one.
Commissioners also said Lincoln County Emergency Management had met with Ameren and first responders earlier in the week. They had heard the meeting went well but were still waiting for a fuller account from emergency management before saying what was learned or whether any concerns remained. They expect that information soon.
Beger’s appearance led to a long exchange about the project and the county’s limited authority over development on private property without planning and zoning. Although no one had spoken during the formal public comment period, commissioners gave Beger time to work through his questions rather than cutting the discussion short.
Cochran Engineering then presented the Foley testing plan. The approved $23,932 will pay to drill one piezometer — a narrow monitoring well used to collect groundwater samples. It is an early check of the water’s quality, before the county decides whether to spend more on the site.
If that first sample is promising, engineers proposed testing three additional locations. They also recommended a later 30-day test in which a well would be pumped while crews monitor the water level and take repeated samples. That would help show whether sustained pumping changes the water quality.
Neither of those later steps was approved Thursday. A drilling contractor is scheduled to begin the initial work the week of Oct. 5, with results expected in late October. Engineers said the broader testing process could continue into 2027 if the county moves forward.
County Clerk Kenny Schulte, Recorder of Deeds Tracy Martin and Julie Rodgers, executive director of Lincoln County Economic Development, were among the handful of people in attendance.
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Sources
Lincoln CountyWatch attendance and recording of the Sept. 24 commission meeting
Lincoln County Commission agenda
Lincoln County staff directory
Missouri Secretary of State candidate filings
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