A recent report indicates that in 2014 there were approximately 122 complaints of water contamination by property owners in West Virginia, alleging that drilling activities by fracking companies caused the contamination of their wells. In many of these cases, the drilling companies had agreed to take corrective action where the evidence clearly supported that such wells had been contaminated. Earlier this year, a separate research study from Duke University, demonstrated that fracking activities has led to significant levels of both ammonia and iodine in local waterways in West Virginia, which “can have a devastating impact on fish, ecosystems, and potentially, human health.”
Although natural gas drilling and fracking remain controversial issues in states such as West Virginia, from the perspective of homeowners that may be adversely affected, the impact on the use and enjoyment, safety, and transferability of their property remains a very real and personal issues, especially when many individuals purchased property as a long-term investment. The likelihood of a natural gas drilling or fracking accident is generally the least of a property owner’s concern until it actually happens.
The issue for many homeowners in West Virginia is the significant health, environmental contamination, and property diminution related issues that may result from certain fracking activity. Fracking may lead to a cracked or leaking natural gas accident, leakage, fire, or other accidental drainage of fracking materials into waterways. For many West Virginia property owners, such accidents can be significant, resulting in not only environmental and health concerns, but even in the loss of use and value of one’s own property. In many cases, property owners are unable to list or even sell their now contaminated properties, even at market value. In many cases homeowners have no choice but to sell such properties at a significant market loss or to remain in contaminated properties.
Many property owners in West Virginia are completely dependent upon well water, and when natural gas drilling or fracking activities contaminates the well water, it taints the only source of potable water for that property owner. For such people, water and well contamination as a result of a natural gas drilling or a fracking accident may take decades to fully correct, and in the interim, the property owner has effectively lost the use and enjoyment of his or her property.
Let Our Attorneys Help You Today
If you or someone you know has been involved in a natural gas accident or fracking accident, you need attorneys with experience in such personal injury and property related matters. Colombo Law is highly experienced in obtaining recoveries on behalf of individuals and households involved in natural gas or fracking incidents.
