By AP/KWMU
St. Louis – State officials have given AmerenUE the green light for a project that could lay the groundwork for rebuilding the Taum Sauk reservoir near Lesterville, Mo.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has given Ameren permits that will allow the utility company to build an experimental concrete plant near the reservoir.
Ameren plans to grind up rock from the ruined reservoir walls and mix it with cement, fly ash and water to make concrete to rebuild the basin.
Company spokesman Tim Fox says the project will simply study the feasibility of rebuilding the reservoir. There's been no final decision whether to rebuild it.
Taum Sauk collapsed last year and released more than a billion gallons of water, destroying much of Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and injuring a family of five.