By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The Department of Natural Resources is stepping up pressure on Attorney General Jay Nixon and AmerenUE to settle damages from the Taum Sauk Reservoir collapse.
At a news conference Tuesday in front of Ameren's St. Louis headquarters, DNR Director Doyle Childers rejected the company's latest settlement offer.
The main sticking point is $10 million that would have gone to Nixon to be distributed at his discretion.
Childers issued a counteroffer instead. He said Reynolds County should get that money, not Nixon.
"There was a proposal to add $10 million to the Attorney General for no specific purpose," Childers said. "It would be a cash payment, that we find totally inadvisable."
Childers is an appointee of Republican Governor Matt Blunt. Nixon is a Democrat who is challenging Blunt in next year's gubernatorial race.
Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the Attorney General is still deciding on possible criminal charges. He also said the DNR's counteroffer is too weak.
"It does not require Ameren to rebuild this reservoir," Holste said. "And it also does not say if they rebuild the reservoir, that ratepayers might not have to bear that financial cost."
Ameren Vice President Richard Mark said the company wants to settle, but attorneys do not know with whom to negotiate. Mark said he is tired of Ameren being a "political football."