By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Ten businesses sued St. Louis-based AmerenUE Friday for what they called "devastating financial losses" following a reservoir collapse last year.
The lawsuit was filed in Reynolds County.
The Taum Sauk reservoir failure released more than one billion gallons of water just over a year ago. It damaged Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and the water quality of the Black River, popular tourist destinations.
The businesses said they relied on related tourism for their revenue.
Lawyer Anthony Simon says his clients feel Ameren knew it was having problems, didn't correct them, and hurt businesses throughout the region.
Ameren spokeswoman Susan Gallagher says the company does not comment on litigation.
The company says it spent millions on clean-up and hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote tourism in the region.