YOUNGSTOWN It remains to be seen if the city of Youngstown will appeal a federal court order to pay a fine for not finishing a $240 million sewer improvement project on time, or if city leaders will just accept the ruling as money down the drain.

The order was issued Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher A. Boyko, who sided with the U.S. government in a long-standing court case that began in 1998. The original lawsuit accused Youngstown of violating the Clean Water Act.

In 2002, the city agreed to a settlement, called a "consent decree," which laid out a long-term plan to stop raw sewage from overflowing into the Mahoning River, Mill Creek, and other local bodies of water. The overflows happen when heavy rain overwhelms the city's combined sewer and stormwater system.

Co

See Full Page