Former Sebring water chief faces 3 criminal charges

SEBRING — James Bates, former operator of Sebring Village’s public water system, now faces criminal charges in connection with the Sebring Village drinking water lead crisis.

Ohio Atty. General Mike DeWine and Craig Butler, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency director, said today that Bates has been charged with two counts of recklessly failing to provide timely notice of individual lead tap water results and one count of recklessly failing to provide timely system-wide public education.

"The state alleges that Bates failed to provide both types of notices within the required timeframes, in violation of Ohio’s safe drinking water laws," DeWine's office said in a news release.

Village Manager Richard Giroux first placed Bates on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a state investigation amid concerns about lead and copper in the water supply. Later, the OEPA issued emergency orders prohibiting Bates from operating any public water system in Ohio and revoked his license.