Ohio agency seeks criminal probe into water plant issue

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to revoke the license of Sebring’s water treatment operator after high levels of lead were detected in the city’s water.

McKinley Junior/Senior High: Four tests had no detection of lead, but one water fountain had higher than the allowable level. Several of the households tested were using water that contained lead levels of more than 2,500 parts per billion – or more than 166 times the EPA action level.

“We have asked for assistance from the federal EPA’s criminal investigation division”, Griesmer said.

The Ohio EPA said it suspects lead may be seeping into water from distribution lines and old homes with lead pipes, according to CNN affiliate WFMJ-TV in Youngstown.

Schools remained closed in northeast Ohio Monday as authorities continued testing water feared to contain risky levels of lead, the Associated Press reported.

BL Miller Elementary School: Three tests had no detection of lead and two detections were below the allowable level. However, he says the lead could be a result of what he calls aggressive water.

Village officials for Sebring, located about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland, were not immediately available for comment on Saturday. Messages left with the Sebring schools superintendent weren’t returned on Friday.

The schools’ website said initial water testing was done by taking samples from a few areas in the school buildings, but tests have been requested for all water outlets in both buildings.

But the Ohio EPA said it will not lift its drinking water advisory for pregnant women and children until two rounds of successful sampling in consecutive six-month periods. “We are not going to turn anyone away, but we want to make sure we are hitting our target population that is most at risk according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines”.