Camden County developer hit with state clean water lawsuits

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed two lawsuits against a Camden County developer for violations of the Clean Water Law, Koster's office said last week.

Spanburg Investments LLC polluted waters next to residential developments in Camden and Morgan counties, Koster's office alleged. According to the suit, inspections by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources showed that Spanburg allowed contaminants to run off into a lake at Chelsea Rose Estates and a tributary of Brush Creek near the Wellington Woods subdivision.

The inspections also showed that the company had not put erosion control structures or best management practices in place at either development or get needed permits, the allegation states.

"All developers in Missouri are obligated to ensure the environmental integrity of their development sites,Koster said in a news release. "This office will aggressively pursue any developers who show disregard for our environmental laws."

The attorney general is asking the court to issue preliminary and permanent injunctions against Spanburg and to assess civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day for each Clean Water Law violation.