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Nixon's office will look into possible criminal charges in reservoir break

The reservoir failure near Lesterville, Mo. released more than 1 billion gallons of water (UPI file photo)
The reservoir failure near Lesterville, Mo. released more than 1 billion gallons of water (UPI file photo)

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis, MO – The Missouri Attorney General's office will conduct a criminal investigation into last month's reservoir rupture in southeast Missouri.

A judge in Reynolds County on Thursday named the AG's office as special prosecutor in the case. That's because the prosecutor in that county had determined he had a conflict of interest.

Attorney General Jay Nixon says his office will work with the Highway Patrol to determine if charges are warranted.

The rupture at the reservoir at Ameren UE's Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant near Lesterville released more than a billion gallons of water, and heavily damaged Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. It also destroyed the park superintendent's home and injured his three children.

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