Shareholders demand details of Ameren’s coal ash cleanup

May 03--PEORIA -- The region's dominant utility must report the environmental impact on local communities of one of the main byproducts of energy generation, and it must be done quickly under the provisions of a proposal crafted by activist investors and approved by shareholders Thursday.

A resolution introduced by the Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment requires Ameren Corporation to disclose the effects of coal ash on the communities that the utility serves, which includes most of downstate Illinois and a significant portion of Missouri. It was approved during the annual shareholders meeting.

"We are very happy to get a majority vote. This is a win for public health, water quality, and the long term health of our rivers," Sister Barbara Jennings, a member of Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment, said in a release.

Ameren must develop a report on its efforts to reduce the environmental and health risks posed by coal ash, as well as the risk to the company's reputation and legal liabilities.

Ajay Arora, Ameren's vice president of power operations and energy management, said the company has a documented history of safety with coal ash waste and will honor the wishes of shareholders.

"We respect the vote of our shareholders, who narrowly approved this proposal, and will honor the request to provide this additional report," Arora said in a statement provided by the company. "Ameren has a long history of safely operating coal ash ponds, and we are currently in the midst of implementing energy center modifications and changes needed to close all ash ponds, while implementing the requirements of the federal CCR rule."

Arora also pointed to online resources provided by the company that currently provide data concerning closure plans, safety inspection reports and water quality data. Some of those reports can be found at AmerenMissouri.com/BasinClosure and in the 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report at AmerenCSR.com.

The coalition that ushered the proposal to approval on Thursday, however, asserts otherwise. Ameren's coal ash sites have caused groundwater contamination in Missouri and Illinois -- and created financial liability for the company and shareholders, according to the coalition.

"Utilities such as TVA and Duke have learned the hard way that coal ash presents a significant risk to communities and the company's bottom line. It is in the best interest of both Ameren and its shareholders to clean up coal ash waste sites and ensure communities and groundwater are protected for years to come," said Andy Knott, a campaign representative for the Sierra Club.

Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JournoBuedel.

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