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Struthers wastewater treatment superintendent operating without proper certifications
VINDICATOR EXCLUSIVE
STRUTHERS
The wastewater treatment facility in Struthers is without a properly certified operator at the helm.
The city’s wastewater superintendent, Bob Gentile, has been operating the wastewater treatment facility with an expired Class IV wastewater treatment operator’s certification.
Gentile’s certification expired Dec. 31, 2015. There is a one-year grace period during which operators can renew their certifications without having to retake the Class IV wastewater operator test. As Gentile is outside of that grace period, he will have to reapply and retake the Class IV wastewater operator test to continue working at the facility in his current capacity.
Class IV certifications are valid for two years from the time of issuance.
Struthers Safety Director Ed Wildes said the plant is still operating normally, and though he would not confirm if Gentile’s license was expired, he did say that there are protocols in place at the facility for its continued operation in the event that a Class IV operator was suddenly unavailable.
Mayor Terry Stocker said he wished to withhold any public comments on the matter until he has a chance to meet with city council and discuss how to proceed.
City council will have a special meeting at 6 tonight to “discuss an employee discipline issue” during an executive session.
Gentile has been the manager of the facility for 36 years. In 2012, an explosion at the facility resulted in the deaths of two workers and 10 citations from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
The explosion was a result of a methane-gas buildup igniting in the facility’s gas-compression room.
In June 2016, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Carol Crytzer criticized a decision by the mayor to approve a $1,000 raise for Gentile, as he was the plant’s manager at the time of the explosion. Ultimately the raise was never given due to city council’s voting down legislation and later overturning a veto that would have seen all department heads in Struthers, including Gentile, receive raises.
Dina Pierce, spokesperson for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said Gentile can reapply to take his Class IV exam at anytime and, if approved, can retake the test shortly thereafter. Whether the city will seek a temporary or permanent replacement for the position is not now known.