Missouri’s biggest utility company says the Public Service Commission is on a wild goose chase. The head of the commission concedes he might be, but he thinks it’s worth it.

The Public Service Commission has reopened its investigation into the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse after published reports that some safety sensors were placed too high to adequately warn of excessive water levels, and that some had been moved by the time a safety inspector arrived on-scene after the collapse. 

Ameren says the sensors were moved during its investigation of the collapse…and it refutes claims that it has kept secret the names of those who moved them. Ameren says it gave the names of those employees to the highway patrol a year ago. 

Public Service Commission Chairman Jeff Davis says the PSC knew the sensors had been moved. He wants to know if there was a concerted effort made to move them. Davis says he might not have any authority to do more than investigate, send out some subpoenas, and gather a few more facts if there are any new facts to be gathered.  But he thinks the public deserves to know the information.

Davis says the PSC is scanning the 200-page Highway Patrol report into its system and hopes to have it available for wider study soon.  He hopes to finish the investigation in a matter of weeks.

Download Bob Priddy’s story (:60 mp3)