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Texas Family Awarded $2.9 Million In Fracking Lawsuit

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-mess-with-texas dept.

New submitter martinQblank writes "CNN reports: A Texas family whose home was within a two-mile radius of 22 natural gas wells — one of which was less than 800 feet away — has been awarded $2.9 million by a jury. The family, who suffered from a variety of ailments (including nosebleeds, rashes, migraines and more), was advised by a doctor to leave their ranch immediately and see a physician specializing in environmental health. The defendant in the case, Aruba Petroleum, disagreed with the jury's decision, as did other attorneys who are familiar with the energy sector — calling in a 'knee-jerk' reaction. Additionally the company noted that they had complied with all applicable environmental regulations. The family itself? Still in favor of oil and natural gas extraction: 'We are not anti-fracking or anti-drilling. My goodness, we live in Texas. Keep it in the pipes, and if you have a leak or spill, report it and be respectful to your neighbors. If you are going to put this stuff in close proximity to homes, be respectful and careful.'"

3 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Complying with all regulations is no excuse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're still responsible for the damage you cause, even if it's accidental. Your action, your responsibility.

  2. Congrats on complying with applicable regulations by penguinoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But why is fracking exempt from the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act?

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  3. Re:Um yeah by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It sounds like the oil company permanently deprived them of their home. If it is some large ranch, the total value of the land could be non-trivial. Even the value of a large home in the city can creep up near the 1 Million dollar range.

    If that land was providing income then there are direct economic damages that a few million might adequately cover.

    That's not even getting into medical bills or permanent harm to several people. All of that could also have lingering economic consequences.

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