© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

DNR Director Still Out As Investigation Continues

E. coli bacteria
E. coli bacteria

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-865881.mp3

Jefferson City, MO – Mark Templeton is still on leave from his job as Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director, even though it's now been two weeks since his two-week suspension was handed down by Governor Jay Nixon.

Templeton was suspended without pay after the governor learned E-coli-contaminated beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks remained open during Memorial Day weekend, despite being told after the fact that they were closed.

Nixon says he's waiting on the results of a review he requested into Templeton's role in the matter:

Nixon: "We want to make sure there's confidence in the Department of Natural Resources, and we want to make sure that a lot of energy that's used in this state is used to make sure we clean up not only the Lake of the Ozarks, but all the waterways of our state."

Meanwhile, another DNR official has admitted to State Senate investigators that the beaches remained open because he was on vacation at the time and missed later test results

Marshall Griffin is the Statehouse reporter for St. Louis Public Radio.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.