EXECUTIVE ORDER
04-15

WHEREAS, a series of severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of Monday, July 5, 2004, in the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area, resulted in the loss of electrical service to approximately 150,000 public utility customers of Ameren Electric; and

WHEREAS, since then, Ameren has worked to restore electrical service to more than 100,000 customers, but still has approximately 42,000 customers remaining without electrical service in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County at this time; and

WHEREAS, in order to expedite the restoration of electrical power to these public utility customers, it is necessary temporarily to dispatch Ameren line personnel from their usual work reporting locations throughout the State of Illinois, to the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area, to assist in the restoration of electrical service, and to temporarily relieve the Ameren personnel who have been working to restore electric power to the St. Louis area since July 5, 2004; and

WHEREAS, the present extent of the damage makes it likely that these Ameren line personnel from Illinois will be needed to continue rendering assistance to the emergency relief effort within the St. Louis metropolitan area until and including Friday, July 9, 2004; and

WHEREAS, the safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this state require that operators of commercial motor carriers upon the public highways who are rendering assistance to these emergency efforts to restore electrical service to the affected area be allowed more rapid and efficient travel to meet this emergency need for restoration of electric utility service within the affected area of this state; and

WHEREAS, this requirement for more rapid and efficient transportation would be facilitated by the temporary suspension of certain usual and necessary regulatory requirements for the drivers of commercial motor vehicles, while they are transporting property and passengers to assist in the relief efforts; and

WHEREAS, 49 CFR Section 390.23 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations provides that a Governor of a State may declare an emergency thereby exempting motor carriers or drivers operating a commercial vehicle from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations; and

WHEREAS, Ameren Electric has requested relief from the requirements of 49 CFR Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for motor carriers and drivers while providing emergency assistance in the efforts to restore electrical service to customers within the state of Missouri who have lost electrical service;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BOB HOLDEN, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Missouri, hereby declare that a regional state of emergency exists, within the meaning of 49 CFR section 390.23(a)(1), within the Missouri counties of St. Louis and St. Charles, and the City of St. Louis, Missouri, because of the need to restore electric utility service to and within the affected region. This Order shall be effective immediately and shall continue until 11:59 pm on Friday, July 9, 2004.

ATTEST:

.pdf version