Man Jailed For Failing To Fix Stormwater Flooding Problem

CORTLANDVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — A 70-year-old Cortland County man has been sent to jail for illegally diverting stormwater runoff from his property so that it flooded a nearby cemetery and road.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation started taking action against James Stevens, of Cortlandville, in 2012. The state attorney general's office filed a lawsuit against Stevens in 2014, saying the cemetery flooding was so extensive that 18 bodies had to be reburied.

Last year, civil and criminal contempt charges were filed against Stevens for failing to abide by a court order requiring him to address the problem.

On Tuesday, Judge Phillip Rumsey sent Stevens to the Cortland County Jail until the work is done.