Fracking Damage Class Action
Fracking, or oil and gas extraction companies, are suspected of many violations of public health laws and causing widespread property damage. The companies use large amounts of poisonous chemicals to dig for, and pump natural gas and oil out of deep underground wells. The process of pumping uses massive amounts of water that must be disposed of after use. The “waste product dumping” process has been blamed for widespread property damage in areas of heavy drilling activity across many states. If you live in an area where fracking is or has taken place over the last 10 years, you may be able to recover money damages through a class action lawsuit. Please contact us at 424-245-5505 or through the form on this page.
Background on Fracking
Beginning in the 1990s, fracking reportedly has grown quickly in areas of the country that sit on large deposits of shale gas and oil. It is reported that the states with the largest deposits are Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, Indiana and Illinois. Since major fracking operations began in these states, public health and property damage reports related to fracking having reportedly risen at high rates.
Extremely deep wells are required in the fracking and waste liquid dumping processes. Injection wells for disposing of the fracking waste fluid are filled with millions of gallons of toxins. Because of this, underground wells, aquifers and water tables can reportedly be poisoned. Many reports of dead livestock (stillborn calves), wildlife, and pets have been made across these states. In areas of heavy fracking operations, people have reportedly complained of suffering from headaches, nosebleeds, coughing and choking in the shower, rashes, dizziness, inflammation of cornea and chemical burns to eyes, blisters in the mouth, breathing problems, nausea, muscle spasms, lung polyps, skin lesions, and death. Researchers have also reported finding lowered birth weights and increased numbers of stillborn babies in areas with heavy fracking.
Impact On Water
Fracking can reportedly poison nearby wells with toxic chemicals like hydrochloric acid, methanol, benzene, ethylene glycol (used in antifreeze), and methane gas. Unfortunately, it is reported that fracking companies are not required by law to tell what chemicals they put into the ground. Some people who live near fracking wells may have become seriously ill from drinking contaminated water. Some people have allegedly been able to light their tap water on fire from high amounts of methane in their water. Others have reportedly experienced high amounts of skin irritation and rashes from coming into contact with tap water. Many studies have also reportedly shown cancer-causing chemicals in high concentrations in water supplies when fracking operations take place in an area.
Earthquakes Caused By Fracking
In many of the states where there is a lot of fracking activity, earthquakes have allegedly become common in areas where earthquakes were rarely reported. Oklahoma and Texas have reported hundreds of earthquakes per year since fracking became widespread in these states. Ohio and Colorado have also been reported as having dozens of earthquakes in the last several years that have allegedly caused much property damage. People in all of the states with fracking operations have allegedly reported high amounts of property damage to their homes, businesses, and public buildings. The damage to people’s homes may include burst pipes, severed electrical and cable wiring, shattered fireplaces and fountains, cracked foundations, uprooted trees, and many other destroyed home components.
Many scientists and geologists have reported that these earthquakes can only have been caused by the arrival of fracking. State, federal, university, and private researchers have issued reports and research study results showing that fracking is conclusively the cause of the earthquakes that have been reported across many states. These areas had reported almost no earthquakes in their history, prior to fracking. People have also reported getting injured because they were unable to escape their homes or businesses when the earthquakes happened.
Reduced Property Values
Fracking has also reportedly caused hundreds of people to move away from their homes. When water supplies become polluted to the point that fracking companies are reportedly forced by government to provide bottled water to affected residents, some people just leave their homes permanently. People have reported that they do not want to die of cancer and so they simply move away and abandon their homes. Even the people who do not enter into contracts with fracking companies to extract the oil and gas on their properties may be affected when fracking companies come to their area. Pennsylvania reportedly has been hard hit by fracking companies and their poisonous process.
It is reported that any people have experienced severely reduced property values when they put their homes up for sale after fracking companies come to their area. Fracking one underground well is widely known to require hundreds of trips by tractor trailers hauling equipment, water, and chemicals. People have reported developing sleep disorders and depression when fracking takes place near their homes. Fracking creates silica dust clouds which are linked to tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease and autoimmune disease. People have reported that the dust from fracking activity has ruined the paint on their homes, other buildings, and cars because of its toxicity. Fracking also releases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and other illness-causing pollutants into the air. All of these problems created by fracking may destroy home values for people who want to move away from areas affected by fracking.
Fracking Class Action
It is reported that fracking companies are lobbying Congress to stop any laws from being passed that could help the public. There are currently no federal environmental laws that stop fracking companies from poisoning water supplies. Fracking companies are also trying hard to prevent people from using legal remedies who want to sue for damage to their homes and property from earthquakes caused by fracking. For more on how class action lawsuits can help people, click here. If you or anyone you know has suffered problems that might have been caused by fracking activity in your area, you may be part of a class action lawsuit. Please contact us at 424-245-5505 or through the form on this page.
