Stone County subdivision referred to AG for wastewater issues

Developer George Cook and property owners in Stone County's Skyview subdivision are being referred to Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office for violations of the state Clean Water Law, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

DNR referred the homeowners to the attorney general's office after a complaint investigation found a pump at a lift station that was pumping sewage into a tributary of Table Rock Lake. According to the release, DNR staff contacted Cook and requested he begin pumping and hauling wastewater from the lift station to prevent it from discharging into the lake.

According to the department, the pump puts the subdivision in violation of the Missouri Clean Water Law, which protects public and environmental health. When the responsible parties are unwilling or unable to cooperate with the law, the department will refer cases to the attorney general for possible legal action.

The DNR announcement came just days after Koster announced he was filing lawsuits against two men from Lake Ozark for discharging contaminants into Lake of the Ozarks.

Koster filed suit against Mark Kelly, owner of Sunset Palms and Royal Palms condominium developments, and Gary Dean Prewitt, owner of Shady Gators restaurant, for permitting raw or partially treated sewage to run off into the lake.

Koster is asking for penalties of up to $10,000 per day for each violation in the two Lake Ozark cases.