by Dave Bedan
On June 11, 2001, Ameren Development Company, a subsidiary of St. Louis based Ameren Corporation, announced that it had filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a preliminary permit that would pave the way for an evaluation on whether to build a new pumped-storage hydroelectric plant. The site for the plant would be in Reynolds County on Church Mountain and on Taum Sauk Creek between Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and Johnson Shut-ins State Park. The northeast one fourth of Church Mountain is owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as part of Taum Sauk State Park. For those who are familiar with area, this new project would be a few miles south of AmerenUE’s existing pumped-storage hydroelectric plant on Proffit Mountain.
The $100,000,000 project would level off the top of Church Mountain to build an upper reservoir and dam up Taum Sauk Creek to build a lower reservoir. Pipes and turbines would connect the reservoirs. On summer nights, during periods of low demand for electricity, water would be pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. During the day, when demand is a its peak, water would be run back down to generate electricity. The capacity of the generating plant could be as much as 770 megawatts of electricity. However, these plants generate at a net loss of electricity, feasible only because of periods of peak air conditioning demands.
The two reservoirs, generating plant, roads and pipelines could directly impact about 500 acres in this scenic area of the St. Francis Mountains, the oldest part of the Ozarks. This monstrosity would loom high over the Taum Sauk valley and be visible from almost every open vantage point on the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail. Besides being a major intrusion upon the scenic integrity of the park, the project would directly impact Taum Sauk Creek, a permanent, crystal clear headwater stream coursing 5.5 miles through Taum Sauk State Park. The watershed is nearly completely protected in state park ownership. The stream is designated for its aquatic significance both as a Natural Area and as Outstanding State Resource Waters.
The project would require about eight years to construct. Ameren wants to determine by late 2002 or early 2003 whether to build the project. But there will be several regulatory requirements that should allow for public input. I would assume that, because of the need for a FERC permit, this project would require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Building the lower reservoir would also require a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers. And the dams would require dam safety permits from DNR. And since the Missouri Clean Water Commission has designated Taum Sauk Creek as Outstanding State Resource Waters, those special water quality regulations might afford it additional protection. The regulations state that these waters shall receive special protection against any degradation in quality. Also, the entire park, including the eastern flanks of Church Mountain, is designated by the state as the St. Francois Mountain Landscape Natural Area – the largest in the state.
Note from Web editor: We are happy to learn that Ameren UE has now dropped plans to build this plant.