By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – State officials want to know why they didn't know about a massive release of raw sewage sooner.
Millions of gallons of it flowed into Dardenne creek in St. Charles County this week.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says the leak started at a sewage station Sunday and was contained by Tuesday night.
But DNR officials say the Sanitary District that oversees the area might have broken the law. A press release from the office stated the department "is seriously concerned that the district may have caused a health hazard and violated environmental law by failing to notify the department within 24 hours of the beginning of the incident, as required in incidents of this nature." DNR, in fact, was actually contacted by a staff member with the Department of Conservation. A conservation agent was responding to a report of a fish kill in the creek.
Dardenne Creek is near the junction of Highway N and Eagle Mill Road.
The DNR says it was contacted by the Duckett Creek Sanitary District, who reported a "major pump station failure."