An environmental group says it plans to soon sue utility provider Ameren over what it calls repeated violations of federal air pollution standards.
The Sierra Club told Ameren Corp. it plans legal action in the next 60 days over what the group says are nearly 10,000 violations of the Clean Air Act since 2008 at coal-fired power plants in St. Louis, Jefferson and Franklin counties
The alleged violations involve the amount of soot released from smokestacks at the Meramec, Labadie and Rush Island plants.
A company official says Ameren follows EPA air pollution standards and that the excessive releases cited by the Sierra Club "occur infrequently."
Environmental groups have filed similar lawsuits in other states, including Illinois. The 60-day notice is required under federal law to allow for possible negotiations.