"Environmental Group Sues Ameren Regarding Coal Plants"

"ST. LOUIS — A national environmental group has made good on its promise to sue a St. Louis-based utility regarding what it calls thousands of violations of federal clean air laws."

"The Sierra Club filed a federal civil lawsuit against Ameren Corp. on Wednesday in St. Louis. The complaint seeks to compel Ameren to reduce air pollution at three area power plants and asks the court to also levy financial penalties for past violations.

The lawsuit follows a formal notice of intent to sue provided to Ameren by the Sierra Club in December. The group says Ameren's own testing shows nearly 8,000 violations since March 2009 at the utility's Meramec power plant in St. Louis County, the Rush Island plant in Jefferson County and the Labadie plant along the Missouri River in Franklin County."

Alan Scher Zagier reports for the Associated Press March 5, 2014.