DNR asks to join Taum Sauk lawsuit

According to a Springfield News-Leader article:

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources asked a court Wednesday to let it join the state attorney general's lawsuit against Ameren Corp. over the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse, which heavily damaged a state park and injured a family of five in 2005. . . .

The DNR last month submitted a proposed settlement offer to Ameren of more than $125 million, but Department Director Doyle Childers said settlement talks stalled when Nixon filed the lawsuit.

Nixon said he — not DNR — has legal authority in the case. He seeks unspecified damages, along with other fines and payments including compensation for local businesses affected by the accident.

Among the issues being considered as part of the settlement is the possibility of using the Ameren-controlled Rock Island Railroad corridor as the trail connection between the Katy Trail and the Kansas City metropolitan area.