By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The state on Wednesday ordered additional clean-up around the site of last week's reservoir break in southeast Missouri.
Gov. Matt Blunt directed the Department of Natural Resources to issue a second order to AmerenUE. The state says Ameren needs to take additional steps to address sediment and debris removal near the reservoir failure.
A Blunt spokeswoman says the order essentially puts into writing what the state and Ameren verbally agreed to at a meeting this week.
During the failure, 1.5 billion gallons of water cascaded down the Proffit Mountain, washing away homes and cars after the wall gave way. A family of five, including three children, in Lesterville, Mo. was injured.
Water in a fifty-acre upper reservoir of the hydoelectric plant emptied in 12 minutes, raising the level of the Black River.
Officials say equiptment that measures the level of the reservoir may have failed allowing water to overflow.