Blunt invites Nixon for sit-down on Taum Sauk case

ST. LOUIS -- Gov. Matt Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon will hold a sit-down meeting in the governor's office to try to reach a final settlement offer over the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse.

Blunt sent Nixon a letter Wednesday requesting the meeting. Nixon will accept the offer, although a date has not been set, Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said.

Both Nixon and Blunt said they hoped the meeting would lead to a final offer to present to Ameren Corp., the utility company that owns the Taum Sauk reservoir and plans to rebuild the facility and clean up damage from the collapse.

The reservoir breach in December 2005 sent 1.3 billion gallons of water rushing through nearby Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, injuring a family of five and burying much of the park under 5 feet of soil.

Ameren spokesman Tim Fox said the company is hopeful the meeting might lead to a unified settlement offer from the state.

"We are encouraged and optimistic," Fox said in a statement.

"The exchanges between all parties over the past several weeks do form the basis for constructive settlement discussions."

Blunt said the meeting would also be attended by Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers and John Hoskins, director of the Department of Conservation, as well as a maximum of eight staffers.

DNR has proposed that Ameren pay more than $125 million to settle claims with the agency, including a $10 million fine and money to rebuild the popular state park. Nixon is suing Ameren over the incident and hasn't said how much money he would seek as a total settlement.

Nixon sent a letter to Ameren on Monday saying any settlement would have to include an agreement that Ameren pay at least $350 million to rebuild the reservoir. The mountaintop basin feeds water into a profitable hydroelectric plant below and provides crucial tax dollars for nearby communities.

Blunt's letter said Nixon must tell Ameren if he has decided whether to file criminal charges over the matter before a full settlement can be reached. Blunt said he wants Nixon to tell him if a decision over criminal charges has been made, or if he knows how long such a decision might take.

Nixon launched a criminal investigation into the collapse immediately after it occurred. A separate federal investigation found that Ameren managers delayed repairs at the facility they knew could cause the catastrophic collapse.

Holste said Wednesday he would not comment on the criminal investigation.