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Property Contamination Lawyer

Over the past 100 years, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana have seen a boom in oil and gas production. The development of these natural resources has brought forth the creation of jobs and industry. This development includes not only the oil and gas exploration and drilling companies that develop the natural resources, but also the support businesses that are created and developed to sustain the operation of the exploration and drilling companies: businesses that cement the wells, companies engaged in well acidation, companies that haul the drilling contaminates from the production site, and companies that transport the oil and gas production from the well site.

The leasing of your land by oil and gas exploration companies can have its monetary advantages, but it can also have a dark side. A company that engages in the leasing and development of your land has a legal obligation to return your property to what is considered a “reasonably good” condition when the exploration and development is concluded. Failure on their part to uphold that responsibility can result in the landowner having grounds for a claim against that company.

Negligent and irresponsible companies can not only scar the visual landscape of your property, they can also contaminate the land and water supplies with chemical and waste from the drilling and production operations. These unseen exposures to chemical and waste from the operation can expose the surrounding population to danger. As a result, property owners and the residents of the area can be faced with serious health and financial issues. For the property owner, this could also result in a major loss in property valuation.

In recent years, oil and gas exploration companies have engaged in hydraulic fracturing of the production formation in order to develop oil and gas reserves. This development procedure is in use not only in Pennsylvania and North Dakota, but also throughout the Haynesville shale in Louisiana and the Barnett and Eagle Ford shale region in Texas. This method of developing oil and gas reserves has caused harm to resident and property owners in the area.

The property contamination attorneys at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP are committed to assisting property owners and residents who have been harmed by reckless actions of companies engaged in oil and gas exploration, development, and production.

Has Your Property Been Contaminated?

At Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, we have extensive experience through litigation in assisting property owners and residences in the recovery of damages from oil and gas companies for negligent acts resulting in environmental contamination of their property. The purpose of litigation against an oil and gas company is as follows:

  • To ensure that the property owner or area resident is compensated for the harm suffered
  • To ensure that the damage that has occurred is properly rectified
  • To protect the area from any future harm

 

The by-products of drilling operations can contain harmful metals, salts, and toxic chemicals, which are harmful to the environment and the health of those that live nearby. Governmental studies have shown some of these substances are proven carcinogens, while others have been listed by the EPA as hazardous water and air pollutants.

The waste products from the production of oil and gas can kill the vegetation in the area and seep into the region’s water supply, rivers, and lakes; this can lead to the contamination of the region’s water supply which may expose residents to gastrointestinal illnesses and cancers. In many cases oil and gas companies have neglected both the promises to the landowner and their own policies for the prevention of such contamination.

Types of Environmental Contamination

There are several ways in which the environment around your home or workplace can be contaminated with toxic chemicals. Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can help you identify what event applies to your case.

Chemical Spills

A chemical spill involves a hazardous chemical in the form of a gas, liquid, or solid that has been released into the environment. These chemicals pose a threat to the health of individuals exposed to these hazardous materials.

Fracking Contamination

Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) for natural gas drilling is occurring in several states across the United States. Contamination can occur when hazardous chemicals used in the fracking process are leaked into the ground. Long-term exposure to these chemicals, such as benzene, can have serious health consequences to both humans and animals.

Underground Storage Leaks

Companies commonly store toxic chemicals in underground storage. These containers can eventually corrode, leaking the hazardous materials into the surrounding soil and groundwater, contaminating communities’ water supply and reducing the value of their homes.

Contact an Attorney at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP Today

Given the fact that these companies bring much-needed economic activity to an area, but also cause negative environmental and health issues, make litigation against them an intimidating proposition. These companies, which have caused serious harm to an area, are still able to mount popular support in the area for their oil and gas operation. However, the rights of the individuals harmed must also be taken into account, and this is achieved by holding the companies associated with the negligent and reckless acts accountable.

It is our objective at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP to hold companies that have engaged in negligent and reckless acts accountable for the harm caused to both the individual and to the area’s environment.

If oil and gas companies have caused serious property contamination problems in the area, they should be held accountable. They should not be allowed to continue or to abandon the operations in the area until they have been held responsible. Our skilled legal team can provide relief for the land owners and residents from the oil and gas company’s irresponsible actions.

We put the best interests of our client above all, and will fight for the maximum recovery possible. So don’t waste a moment, call now.