Marcellus Shale

Few energy companies can resist the lure of Marcellus Shale, a geological area denoted by large quantities of Devonian black shale. The region, which stretches across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York, holds an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This huge amount of natural gas is a relatively recent discovery. Previous mining methods would have been unable to harness this much natural gas, but the mining industry has developed a new drilling technique to help unearth the gas.

However, this new drilling technique also may pose a health threat to many people living near the mining areas. Specifically, many residents have begun to experience stomachaches, headaches, and noticed their tap water is cloudy or smelly.

Numerous scientific professionals have begun to spot linkages between the drilling process and the root cause of these ailments. Natural gas mines are created by extracting the pockets of gas to induce an easily mined source. In the case of the Marcellus Shale, the industry has begun to mine the natural gas by mixing water with a variety of chemicals and injecting this mixture into the earth. The wastewater from this process is subsequently stored above ground in open pits.

The industry has not disclosed what chemicals it is using in combination with the water. Due to deregulation efforts on the part of Congress, the industry no longer must comply with formerly helpful laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, which would require it to reveal what chemicals it is using in its mining mixture. Scientists and community activists are worried that this mixture of water and unknown toxic chemicals may be corrupting and poisoning the ground water.

However, if you have been affected by these symptoms, legal recourse is still an option. Emotional, physical, and financial compensation is available for those victims of industrial chemical poisoning. Residents have noted unusually high amounts of methane spewing from the ground, and what appears to be unsafe ground water. Some have theorized that massive amounts of benzene have been added to the drilling process, a chemical which has been shown to produce forms of leukemia. New York State officials analyzed the wastewater from Marcellus Slate and discovered that it contained radiation levels 250 times in excess of safety standards. The likelihood that the natural gas operations in Marcellus Shale are responsible for the illness in numerous Pennsylvania residents is high.

At Fellerman and Ciarimboli, we have been watching the Marcellus Shale situation very closely. As a law firm, we specialize in legally preventing and stopping dangerous behavior that impacts your health. Our team of lawyers and professionals are well versed in the practices of corporations and massive industry. If you have experienced peculiar health problems or have noticed a significant decline in the quality of your drinking water, we can help you regain your health and your sense of peace by finding those who are accountable, and making them provide restitution for you and your loved ones.

We firmly believe in an individual’s right to live a healthy life in the setting of their choice, without having that setting violently corrupted by profit-hungry industry. We are unafraid to demand fair treatment and respect for our clients. By calling Fellerman and Ciarimboli for a free legal consultation at 570-714-HURT, you can stop feeling powerless and begin to put the pieces of your life back together.