CONTAMINATED WATER Warren plant employees reach tentative settlement

If the settlement is accepted, the city will pay $26,988.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A tentative settlement has been reached between the city and 14 employees of the Warren Pollution Control Plant, who say they unknowingly drank contaminated water while at work.
The settlement, if accepted, would result in the city's paying a total of $26,988.21, said Law Director Greg Hicks.
"According to the proposed settlement the plaintiffs receive about $800 each, their attorney, Patrick Donlin, receives $5,000 and then $9,988.21 pays for the cost of experts hired by the plaintiffs," Hicks explained.
The employees who had to take sick days because of drinking the contaminated water will also be given their sick days back, Hicks noted.
Donlin declined to comment.
Judge must approve
Hicks was not sure if the judge will allow the plaintiffs to settle or not, noting that there is one plaintiff who does not want to settle.
The case is being heard by Judge John Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
The lawsuit was filed in May 1999.
City officials acknowledged in November 1998 that service water contaminated with human fecal bacteria seeped into the plant's drinking water for as long as five weeks. Officials said at the time that the city's general water supply was not affected.
The lawsuit says city workers cross-connected service water with drinking water pipes and that the city and the pollution control officials operated the plant with many illegal cross-connections, even though such connections violate state law and EPA and Warren Board of Health regulations.
Exposed
Workers unwittingly drank, bathed in and were otherwise exposed to contaminated water for no less than 45 days, the suit says. Some of the workers became ill, the suit states.
The suit also said that the county health board and the county plumbing inspector failed or refused to conduct mandated inspections of plumbing inside the plant and the Ohio EPA failed to properly oversee and enforce regulations.
sinkovich@vindy.com