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Council sunshines contingency legal contract as staff review PFAs testing and deadlines
Summary
City law director and water superintendent briefed council on prior PFAs detections (below current thresholds), Ohio EPA testing deadlines, and an approaching class-action enrollment cutoff; council sun shined an ordinance to contract with NWMC on a contingency basis to pursue claims if testing meets settlement triggers.
Law Director Costa Mastros and Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins told council that Steubenville’s 2023 source-water testing showed PFAs detections that were not above the current federal threshold of concern, but that testing rules and thresholds have evolved and the Ohio EPA requires testing by the end of 2026. Mastros said a settlement group has set deadlines for enrollment in a class-action process that could provide funds for remediation and stated there is no cost to the city to join the testing and enrollment process.
Council sun shined an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to sign a contingency legal-services contract with Northwest Worksite Marketing Corporation (NWMC) to pursue claims related to water contamination, including PFAs; council members characterized the step as a low-cost insurance policy to preserve eligibility for potential settlement funds if testing later meets triggering levels. Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins noted the city is not currently above thresholds of concern but said levels can change over time and testing can determine eligibility.
