Ameren Reaches Taum Sauk Deal With Feds

Governor Matt Blunt is making it clear he is not at all pleased with an agreement reached between AmerenUE and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over last December’s Taum Sauk reservoir collapse in Reynolds County. The Commission has announced the utility has agreed to a $15-Million settlement over the breach, which allowed the release of 1.3-Billion gallons of water into Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, causing extensive damage. Blunt spokesman Spence Jackson says that while the deal might satisfy Ameren’s debt to the federal government, it does not satisfy the company’s obligations to Missourians. As a result of the breach, the company faces state environmental civil penalties for water quality violations. Jackson says talks with the utility over copensation for Missourians continue.