Commitments And Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES We are involved in legal, tax and regulatory proceedings before various courts, regulatory commissions, authorities and governmental agencies with respect to matters that arise in the ordinary course of business, some of which involve substantial amounts of money. We believe that the final disposition of these proceedings, except as otherwise disclosed in the notes to our financial statements in this report and in our Form 10-K, will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity. Reference is made to Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters, Note 14 – Related Party Transactions, and Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies under Part II, Item 8, of the Form 10-K. See also Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters, Note 8 – Related Party Transactions, and Note 10 – Callaway Energy Center of this report. Other Obligations In order to supply a portion of the fuel requirements of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, Ameren Missouri has entered into various long-term commitments for the procurement of coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, and methane gas. Additionally, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have entered into various long-term commitments for purchased power and natural gas for distribution. At March 31, 2017, total obligations related to commitments for coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, purchased power, methane gas, equipment, and meter reading services, among other agreements, at Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois were $3,824 million, $2,340 million, and $1,418 million, respectively. For additional information regarding our obligations and commitments at December 31, 2016, see Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies under Part II, Item 8 of the Form 10-K. In April 2017, Ameren Illinois conducted a procurement event, administered by the IPA, to purchase energy products through May 31, 2020. In the April 2017 procurement event, Ameren Illinois contracted to purchase 4,249,800 megawatthours of energy products for $128 million from June 1, 2017, through May 31, 2020. See Note 8 – Related Party Transactions for additional information regarding energy product agreements between Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois as a result of this procurement event. Environmental Matters We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations enforced by federal, state, and local authorities. The development and operation of electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution facilities, can trigger compliance obligations with respect to diverse environmental laws and regulations. These laws and regulations address emissions, discharges to water, water usage, impacts to air, land, and water, and chemical and waste handling. Complex and lengthy processes are required to obtain and renew approvals, permits, and licenses for new, existing or modified facilities. Additionally, the use and handling of various chemicals or hazardous materials require release prevention plans and emergency response procedures. The EPA has promulgated environmental regulations that have a significant impact on the electric utility industry. Over time, compliance with these regulations could be costly for Ameren Missouri, which operates coal-fired power plants. As of December 31, 2016, Ameren Missouri’s fossil-fueled energy centers represented 18% and 34% of Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s rate base, respectively. Recent regulations impacting air emissions from electric utility industry include revised NSPS, the CSAPR, the MATS and revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are subject to periodic review for certain pollutants. Collectively, these regulations cover a variety of pollutants such as SO₂, particulate matter, NO_X, mercury, toxic metals and acid gases. Regulation of CO₂ emissions from existing power plants through the Clean Power Plan have been stayed by the United States Supreme Court. In addition, the EPA recently announced it is re-evaluating the legal and policy basis for the Clean Power Plan. Water intake and discharges from power plants are regulated under the Clean Water Act and could require significant capital expenditures, such as modifications to water intake structures at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers. The management and disposal of coal ash is regulated under the CCR Rule, which will require significant capital expenditures, such as the closure of surface impoundments and the installations of dry ash handling systems at several of our energy centers. The EPA has initiated an administrative review of several regulations and rulemaking activities, including the Clean Power Plan, the MATS, and the effluent limitation guidelines, which could ultimately result in the revision of all or part of such rules. However, the individual or combined effects of existing environmental regulations could result in significant capital expenditures and increased operating costs for Ameren and Ameren Missouri. Compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations could be prohibitively expensive, result in the closure or alteration of the operation of some of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, or require further capital investment. Ameren and Ameren Missouri expect that such compliance costs would be recoverable through rates, subject to MoPSC prudence review, but the timing of costs and their recovery could be subject to regulatory lag. Ameren Missouri's current plan for compliance with existing environmental regulations for air emissions includes burning ultra-low-sulfur coal and installing new or optimizing existing pollution control equipment. Ameren and Ameren Missouri estimate that they will need to make capital expenditures of $425 million to $525 million in the aggregate from 2017 through 2021 in order to comply with existing environmental regulations. Ameren Missouri may be required to install additional environmental controls beyond 2021. This estimate of capital expenditures includes expenditures required for the CCR regulations, the Clean Water Act rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants, and the Clean Water Act effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units, all of which are discussed below. This estimate does not include the potential impacts of the Clean Power Plan discussed below. The actual amount of capital expenditures required to comply with existing environmental regulations may vary substantially from the above estimate because of uncertainty as to whether the EPA will substantively revise regulatory obligations, the precise compliance strategies that will be used and their ultimate cost, among other things. The following sections describe the more significant new environmental laws and rules and environmental enforcement and remediation matters that affect or could affect our operations. Clean Air Act Federal and state laws require significant reductions in SO₂and NO_x through either emission source reductions or the use and retirement of emission allowances. The first phase of the CSAPR emission reduction requirements became effective in 2015. The second phase of emission reduction requirements, which were revised by the EPA in 2016, became effective in 2017; additional emission reduction requirements may apply in subsequent years. To achieve compliance with the CSAPR, Ameren Missouri burns ultra-low-sulfur coal, operates two scrubbers at its Sioux energy center, and optimizes other existing pollution control equipment. Ameren Missouri did not make additional capital investments to comply with the 2017 CSAPR requirements. However, Ameren Missouri expects to incur additional costs to lower its emissions at one or more of its energy centers to comply with the CSAPR in future years. These higher costs are expected to be recovered from customers through the FAC or higher base rates. CO₂ Emissions Standards In 2015, the EPA issued regulations that set CO₂ emissions standards for new power plants. These new standards establish separate emissions limits for new natural-gas-fired combined cycle plants and new coal-fired plants. The Clean Power Plan sets forth CO₂emissions standards applicable to existing power plants. The rule was stayed by the United States Supreme Court in February 2016, pending the outcome of various legal challenges. In April 2017, the EPA announced that it is reviewing and, if appropriate, will initiate proceedings to suspend, revise, or rescind the Clean Power Plan. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed further action on the litigation that resulted from the Supreme Court’s February 2016 stay of the Clean Power Plan pending the EPA’s administrative review. The Clean Power Plan would require significant reductions in CO₂ emissions from power plants by 2030 including interim compliance periods commencing in 2022. The EPA has advised all states to discontinue implementation planning. We cannot predict the outcome of the EPA’s administrative review, nor the resulting impact on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity. NSR and Clean Air Litigation In January 2011, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a complaint against Ameren Missouri in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The complaint, as amended in October 2013, alleged that in performing projects at its Rush Island coal-fired energy center in 2007 and 2010, Ameren Missouri violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. The litigation has been divided into two phases: liability and remedy. In January 2017, the district court issued a liability ruling that the projects violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. The case will now proceed to the second phase to determine the actions required to remedy the violations found in the liability phase of the litigation. The EPA previously withdrew all claims for penalties and fines. At the conclusion of both phases of the litigation, Ameren Missouri intends to appeal the liability ruling to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. A decision by the district court regarding the remedy phase of the litigation could occur in 2019. The ultimate resolution of this matter could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position, and liquidity of Ameren and Ameren Missouri. Among other things and subject to economic and regulatory considerations, resolution of this matter could result in increased capital expenditures for the installation of pollution control equipment, as well as increased operations and maintenance expenses. We are unable to predict the ultimate resolution of this matter or the costs that might be incurred. Clean Water Act In 2014, the EPA issued its final rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants. The rule requires a case-by-case evaluation and plan for reducing aquatic organisms impinged on the facility’s intake screens or entrained through the plant's cooling water system. All of Ameren Missouri’s coal-fired and nuclear energy centers are subject to the cooling water intake structures rule. Implementation of the rule will occur during the permit renewal process of each energy center’s water discharge permit, which will occur between 2018 and 2023. Additionally, in 2015, the EPA issued a rule to revise the effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units. These guidelines established national standards for water discharges that are based on the effectiveness of available control technology. The EPA's 2015 rule prohibits effluent discharges of certain waste streams and imposes more stringent limitations on certain water discharges from power plants. In April 2017, the EPA announced that it would review and reconsider the effluent limitation guidelines and administratively stayed all compliance deadlines. Both the intake and effluent rules, if implemented as enacted, could have an adverse effect on Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity should such implementation require extensive modifications to the cooling water systems and water discharge systems at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, and if such investments are not recovered on a timely basis in electric rates charged to Ameren Missouri’s customers. Ash Management In 2015, the EPA issued regulations regarding the management and disposal of CCR from coal fired energy centers. These regulations affect CCR disposal and handling costs at Ameren Missouri's energy centers. They require closure of impoundments if performance criteria relating to groundwater impacts and location restrictions are not achieved. Ameren and Ameren Missouri’s AROs associated with CCR storage facilities reflect the regulations issued in 2015. Ameren plans to close these CCR storage facilities between 2018 and 2023. Ameren Missouri's capital expenditure plan includes the cost of constructing landfills as part of its environmental compliance plan. Remediation The Ameren Companies are involved in a number of remediation actions to clean up sites impacted by the use or disposal of materials containing hazardous substances. Federal and state laws can require responsible parties to fund remediation regardless of their degree of fault, the legality of original disposal, or the ownership of a disposal site. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have each been identified by federal or state governments as a potentially responsible party at several contaminated sites. As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Illinois owned or was otherwise responsible for 44 former MGP sites in Illinois, which are in various stages of investigation, evaluation, remediation, and closure. Ameren Illinois estimates it could substantially conclude remediation efforts by 2023. The ICC allows Ameren Illinois to recover remediation and litigation costs associated with its former MGP sites from its electric and natural gas utility customers through environmental adjustment rate riders. Costs are subject to annual review by the ICC. As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Illinois estimated the obligation related to these former MGP sites at $193 million to $258 million. Ameren and Ameren Illinois recorded a liability of $193 million to represent the estimated minimum obligation for these sites, as no other amount within the range was a better estimate. The scope of the remediation activities at these former MGP sites may increase as remediation efforts continue. Considerable uncertainty remains in these estimates because many site-specific factors can influence the ultimate actual costs, including unanticipated underground structures, the degree to which groundwater is encountered, regulatory changes, local ordinances, and site accessibility. The actual costs may vary substantially from these estimates. Ameren Missouri participated in the investigation of various sites known as Sauget Area 2, located in Sauget, Illinois. In 2000, the EPA notified Ameren Missouri and numerous other companies that former landfills and lagoons at those sites may contain soil and groundwater contamination. From about 1926 until 1976, Ameren Missouri operated an energy center adjacent to Sauget Area 2. Ameren Missouri currently owns a parcel of property at Sauget Area 2 that was once used by others as a landfill. In 2013, the EPA issued its record of decision for Sauget Area 2, approving the investigation and the remediation actions recommended by the potentially responsible parties. Further negotiation among the potentially responsible parties will determine how to fund the implementation of the EPA-approved remedies. As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Missouri estimated its obligation related to Sauget Area 2 at $1 million to $2.5 million. Ameren Missouri recorded a liability of $1 million to represent its estimated minimum obligation for this site, as no other amount within the range was a better estimate. Our operations or those of our predecessor companies involve the use of, disposal of, and in appropriate circumstances, the cleanup of substances regulated under environmental laws. We are unable to determine whether such practices will result in future environmental commitments or will affect our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity. Ameren Missouri Municipal Taxes The cities of Creve Coeur and Winchester, Missouri, on behalf of themselves and other municipalities in Ameren Missouri’s service area, filed a class action lawsuit in 2011 against Ameren Missouri in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri. The lawsuit alleges that Ameren Missouri failed to collect and pay gross receipts taxes or license fees on certain revenues, including revenues from wholesale power and interchange sales. Ameren and Ameren Missouri recorded immaterial liabilities on their respective balance sheets as of March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, representing their estimate of the probable loss due as a result of this lawsuit. Ameren and Ameren Missouri believe there is a remote possibility that a liability relating to this lawsuit could be material to Ameren's and Ameren Missouri’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity. Ameren Missouri believes its defenses are meritorious and is defending itself vigorously. However, there can be no assurances that Ameren Missouri will be successful in its efforts. A 2018 trial has been set and an order is expected later that year.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are involved in legal, tax and regulatory proceedings before various courts, regulatory commissions, authorities and governmental agencies with respect to matters that arise in the ordinary course of business, some of which involve substantial amounts of money. We believe that the final disposition of these proceedings, except as otherwise disclosed in the notes to our financial statements in this report and in our Form 10-K, will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.

Reference is made to Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters, Note 14 – Related Party Transactions, and Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies under Part II, Item 8, of the Form 10-K. See also Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters, Note 8 – Related Party Transactions, and Note 10 – Callaway Energy Center of this report.

Other Obligations

In order to supply a portion of the fuel requirements of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, Ameren Missouri has entered into various long-term commitments for the procurement of coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, and methane gas. Additionally, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have entered into various long-term commitments for purchased power and natural gas for distribution. At March 31, 2017, total obligations related to commitments for coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, purchased power, methane gas, equipment, and meter reading services, among other agreements, at Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois were $3,824 million, $2,340 million, and $1,418 million, respectively. For additional information regarding our obligations and commitments at December 31, 2016, see Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies under Part II, Item 8 of the Form 10-K.

In April 2017, Ameren Illinois conducted a procurement event, administered by the IPA, to purchase energy products through May 31, 2020. In the April 2017 procurement event, Ameren Illinois contracted to purchase 4,249,800 megawatthours of energy products for $128 million from June 1, 2017, through May 31, 2020. See Note 8 – Related Party Transactions for additional information regarding energy product agreements between Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois as a result of this procurement event.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations enforced by federal, state, and local authorities. The development and operation of electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution facilities, can trigger compliance obligations with respect to diverse environmental laws and regulations. These laws and regulations address emissions, discharges to water, water usage, impacts to air, land, and water, and chemical and waste handling. Complex and lengthy processes are required to obtain and renew approvals, permits, and licenses for new, existing or modified facilities. Additionally, the use and handling of various chemicals or hazardous materials require release prevention plans and emergency response procedures.

The EPA has promulgated environmental regulations that have a significant impact on the electric utility industry. Over time, compliance with these regulations could be costly for Ameren Missouri, which operates coal-fired power plants. As of December 31, 2016, Ameren Missouri’s fossil-fueled energy centers represented 18% and 34% of Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s rate base, respectively. Recent regulations impacting air emissions from electric utility industry include revised NSPS, the CSAPR, the MATS and revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are subject to periodic review for certain pollutants. Collectively, these regulations cover a variety of pollutants such as SO₂, particulate matter, NO_X, mercury, toxic metals and acid gases. Regulation of CO₂ emissions from existing power plants through the Clean Power Plan have been stayed by the United States Supreme Court. In addition, the EPA recently announced it is re-evaluating the legal and policy basis for the Clean Power Plan. Water intake and discharges from power plants are regulated under the Clean Water Act and could require significant capital expenditures, such as modifications to water intake structures at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers. The management and disposal of coal ash is regulated under the CCR Rule, which will require significant capital expenditures, such as the closure of surface impoundments and the installations of dry ash handling systems at several of our energy centers. The EPA has initiated an administrative review of several regulations and rulemaking activities, including the Clean Power Plan, the MATS, and the effluent limitation guidelines, which could ultimately result in the revision of all or part of such rules. However, the individual or combined effects of existing environmental regulations could result in significant capital expenditures and increased operating costs for Ameren and Ameren Missouri. Compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations could be prohibitively expensive, result in the closure or alteration of the operation of some of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, or require further capital investment. Ameren and Ameren Missouri expect that such compliance costs would be recoverable through rates, subject to MoPSC prudence review, but the timing of costs and their recovery could be subject to regulatory lag.

Ameren Missouri's current plan for compliance with existing environmental regulations for air emissions includes burning ultra-low-sulfur coal and installing new or optimizing existing pollution control equipment. Ameren and Ameren Missouri estimate that they will need to make capital expenditures of $425 million to $525 million in the aggregate from 2017 through 2021 in order to comply with existing environmental regulations. Ameren Missouri may be required to install additional environmental controls beyond 2021. This estimate of capital expenditures includes expenditures required for the CCR regulations, the Clean Water Act rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants, and the Clean Water Act effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units, all of which are discussed below. This estimate does not include the potential impacts of the Clean Power Plan discussed below. The actual amount of capital expenditures required to comply with existing environmental regulations may vary substantially from the above estimate because of uncertainty as to whether the EPA will substantively revise regulatory obligations, the precise compliance strategies that will be used and their ultimate cost, among other things.

The following sections describe the more significant new environmental laws and rules and environmental enforcement and remediation matters that affect or could affect our operations.

Clean Air Act

Federal and state laws require significant reductions in SO₂and NO_x through either emission source reductions or the use and retirement of emission allowances. The first phase of the CSAPR emission reduction requirements became effective in 2015. The second phase of emission reduction requirements, which were revised by the EPA in 2016, became effective in 2017; additional emission reduction requirements may apply in subsequent years. To achieve compliance with the CSAPR, Ameren Missouri burns ultra-low-sulfur coal, operates two scrubbers at its Sioux energy center, and optimizes other existing pollution control equipment. Ameren Missouri did not make additional capital investments to comply with the 2017 CSAPR requirements. However, Ameren Missouri expects to incur additional costs to lower its emissions at one or more of its energy centers to comply with the CSAPR in future years. These higher costs are expected to be recovered from customers through the FAC or higher base rates.

CO₂ Emissions Standards

In 2015, the EPA issued regulations that set CO₂ emissions standards for new power plants. These new standards establish separate emissions limits for new natural-gas-fired combined cycle plants and new coal-fired plants. The Clean Power Plan sets forth CO₂emissions standards applicable to existing power plants. The rule was stayed by the United States Supreme Court in February 2016, pending the outcome of various legal challenges. In April 2017, the EPA announced that it is reviewing and, if appropriate, will initiate proceedings to suspend, revise, or rescind the Clean Power Plan. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed further action on the litigation that resulted from the Supreme Court’s February 2016 stay of the Clean Power Plan pending the EPA’s administrative review.

The Clean Power Plan would require significant reductions in CO₂ emissions from power plants by 2030 including interim compliance periods commencing in 2022. The EPA has advised all states to discontinue implementation planning. We cannot predict the outcome of the EPA’s administrative review, nor the resulting impact on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.

NSR and Clean Air Litigation

In January 2011, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a complaint against Ameren Missouri in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The complaint, as amended in October 2013, alleged that in performing projects at its Rush Island coal-fired energy center in 2007 and 2010, Ameren Missouri violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. The litigation has been divided into two phases: liability and remedy. In January 2017, the district court issued a liability ruling that the projects violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. The case will now proceed to the second phase to determine the actions required to remedy the violations found in the liability phase of the litigation. The EPA previously withdrew all claims for penalties and fines. At the conclusion of both phases of the litigation, Ameren Missouri intends to appeal the liability ruling to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. A decision by the district court regarding the remedy phase of the litigation could occur in 2019.

The ultimate resolution of this matter could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position, and liquidity of Ameren and Ameren Missouri. Among other things and subject to economic and regulatory considerations, resolution of this matter could result in increased capital expenditures for the installation of pollution control equipment, as well as increased operations and maintenance expenses. We are unable to predict the ultimate resolution of this matter or the costs that might be incurred.

Clean Water Act

In 2014, the EPA issued its final rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants. The rule requires a case-by-case evaluation and plan for reducing aquatic organisms impinged on the facility’s intake screens or entrained through the plant's cooling water system. All of Ameren Missouri’s coal-fired and nuclear energy centers are subject to the cooling water intake structures rule. Implementation of the rule will occur during the permit renewal process of each energy center’s water discharge permit, which will occur between 2018 and 2023.

Additionally, in 2015, the EPA issued a rule to revise the effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units. These guidelines established national standards for water discharges that are based on the effectiveness of available control technology. The EPA's 2015 rule prohibits effluent discharges of certain waste streams and imposes more stringent limitations on certain water discharges from power plants. In April 2017, the EPA announced that it would review and reconsider the effluent limitation guidelines and administratively stayed all compliance deadlines.

Both the intake and effluent rules, if implemented as enacted, could have an adverse effect on Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity should such implementation require extensive modifications to the cooling water systems and water discharge systems at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, and if such investments are not recovered on a timely basis in electric rates charged to Ameren Missouri’s customers.

Ash Management

In 2015, the EPA issued regulations regarding the management and disposal of CCR from coal fired energy centers. These regulations affect CCR disposal and handling costs at Ameren Missouri's energy centers. They require closure of impoundments if performance criteria relating to groundwater impacts and location restrictions are not achieved. Ameren and Ameren Missouri’s AROs associated with CCR storage facilities reflect the regulations issued in 2015. Ameren plans to close these CCR storage facilities between 2018 and 2023.

Ameren Missouri's capital expenditure plan includes the cost of constructing landfills as part of its environmental compliance plan.

Remediation

The Ameren Companies are involved in a number of remediation actions to clean up sites impacted by the use or disposal of materials containing hazardous substances. Federal and state laws can require responsible parties to fund remediation regardless of their degree of fault, the legality of original disposal, or the ownership of a disposal site. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have each been identified by federal or state governments as a potentially responsible party at several contaminated sites.

As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Illinois owned or was otherwise responsible for 44 former MGP sites in Illinois, which are in various stages of investigation, evaluation, remediation, and closure. Ameren Illinois estimates it could substantially conclude remediation efforts by 2023. The ICC allows Ameren Illinois to recover remediation and litigation costs associated with its former MGP sites from its electric and natural gas utility customers through environmental adjustment rate riders. Costs are subject to annual review by the ICC. As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Illinois estimated the obligation related to these former MGP sites at $193 million to $258 million. Ameren and Ameren Illinois recorded a liability of $193 million to represent the estimated minimum obligation for these sites, as no other amount within the range was a better estimate.

The scope of the remediation activities at these former MGP sites may increase as remediation efforts continue. Considerable uncertainty remains in these estimates because many site-specific factors can influence the ultimate actual costs, including unanticipated underground structures, the degree to which groundwater is encountered, regulatory changes, local ordinances, and site accessibility. The actual costs may vary substantially from these estimates.

Ameren Missouri participated in the investigation of various sites known as Sauget Area 2, located in Sauget, Illinois. In 2000, the EPA notified Ameren Missouri and numerous other companies that former landfills and lagoons at those sites may contain soil and groundwater contamination. From about 1926 until 1976, Ameren Missouri operated an energy center adjacent to Sauget Area 2. Ameren Missouri currently owns a parcel of property at Sauget Area 2 that was once used by others as a landfill.

In 2013, the EPA issued its record of decision for Sauget Area 2, approving the investigation and the remediation actions recommended by the potentially responsible parties. Further negotiation among the potentially responsible parties will determine how to fund the implementation of the EPA-approved remedies. As of March 31, 2017, Ameren Missouri estimated its obligation related to Sauget Area 2 at $1 million to $2.5 million. Ameren Missouri recorded a liability of $1 million to represent its estimated minimum obligation for this site, as no other amount within the range was a better estimate.

Our operations or those of our predecessor companies involve the use of, disposal of, and in appropriate circumstances, the cleanup of substances regulated under environmental laws. We are unable to determine whether such practices will result in future environmental commitments or will affect our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.

Ameren Missouri Municipal Taxes

The cities of Creve Coeur and Winchester, Missouri, on behalf of themselves and other municipalities in Ameren Missouri’s service area, filed a class action lawsuit in 2011 against Ameren Missouri in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri. The lawsuit alleges that Ameren Missouri failed to collect and pay gross receipts taxes or license fees on certain revenues, including revenues from wholesale power and interchange sales. Ameren and Ameren Missouri recorded immaterial liabilities on their respective balance sheets as of March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, representing their estimate of the probable loss due as a result of this lawsuit. Ameren and Ameren Missouri believe there is a remote possibility that a liability relating to this lawsuit could be material to Ameren's and Ameren Missouri’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity. Ameren Missouri believes its defenses are meritorious and is defending itself vigorously. However, there can be no assurances that Ameren Missouri will be successful in its efforts. A 2018 trial has been set and an order is expected later that year.