RAYMORE, Mo. — Members of a Missouri House committee unanimously supported a bill to expand the buffer between new landfills and neighboring communities.

Missouri statute currently mandates a half-mile buffer between landfills being developed and nearby towns. The proposed bill changes that buffer to one-mile.

During Tuesday’s hearing, representatives said they heard from hundreds of residents who supported the idea.

State Rep. Mike Haffner (R-Pleasant Hill) introduced the bill after concerns surfaced about a proposed landfill in southern Jackson County along the county line with Cass County. It would also be located across the street from a housing development, according to Haffner’s office.

The proposed landfill is entirely within one-mile of Raymore, according to the city.

If Missouri lawmakers pass the proposed bill to extend the buffer zone, any landfill proposed at the site would violate state statute.

“We are grateful to the House Local Government Committee for advancing Rep. Haffner’s bill to protect our citizens and their homes. We hope the Rules Committee and the entire House will follow their lead and give local government the tools they need to protect their homes,” Ryan Johnson, Cass County Associate Commissioner, said.