Former Mo. Official Regrets E. Coli Report Delay

CHRIS BLANK

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The former deputy chief of Missouri's environmental agency says he regrets the delayed release of an E. coli report from the Lake of the Ozarks because the controversy has created suspicion toward the agency, but he maintains the wait did not risk public health.

The Department of Natural Resources took water samples from the lake May 26 but did not release results showing high bacteria levels in numerous places until about a month later. The delay has prompted an investigation by a Senate environment committee and continuing criticism.

Former DNR deputy director Joe Bindbeutel told Senate investigators he first learned May 29 that bacterial levels were high but didn't see specific results until later. According to an interview transcript released Tuesday, Bindbeutel said he decided the agency needed to better understand why the levels were high and develop a plan for what to do about it.

Bindbeutel said there was no public health risk because E. coli survive in lake water for a few days and that time had passed when he saw the results. DNR Director Mark Templeton gave a similar explanation.