KANSAS CITY, Mo. — U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Missouri) took to social media Sunday afternoon to express “deep concern” over recent reporting on soil and water samples on property in Henry County, Missouri.

Earlier this month, Henry County property owner William Steward and his wife filed a civil lawsuit alleging several companies — including Evergy — of “unreasonable handling” of hazardous waste called “fly ash.”

Steward’s lawsuit centers on Evergy’s former coal-fired power plant in Montrose, Missouri.

LINK | Read the lawsuit

Steward presented the results of environmental testing to the Jan. 21 meeting of the Henry County Board of County Commissioners. He suggested the results indicate hazardous levels of hexavalent chromium at his property, which is known to cause cancer, kidney and liver damage, and other adverse health effects.

KSHB 41 has not independently obtained those test results.

LINK | Read the minutes of the Jan. 21 Henry County Commission meeting

In his social media post Sunday, Alford said his office has been in contact with Steward since January 2024.

“Our district office is actively monitoring this situation,” Alford said. “We are in close communication with state and county leaders to gather all pertinent information and ensure a coordinated response. We are committed to staying on top of this issue, advocating for thorough investigations, and holding any parties responsible for environmental harm accountable.”

On Saturday, an Evergy spokesperson provided a statement to KSHB 41 News, saying the utility was reviewing the results Steward presented on Jan. 21.

The statement said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) inspected and found the site to be in compliance in March 2023.

The statement continued: “MDNR also visited the site in August 2024 and again yesterday (Friday), each time expressing no concerns with observed operations or dust management.”

LINK | Read Evergy’s full statement in this story

An open meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, on the second floor of the Henry County Courthouse in Clinton, Missouri.

Alford said he would be in attendance.

“We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and will work tirelessly to safeguard the health of our community and the integrity of our environment,” Alford said.

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