Weitz & Luxenberg today announced that it will hold a community meeting in Pawnee on October 29 to speak with residents who have been affected by earthquakes induced by corporate waste disposal practices and discuss current litigation against the companies responsible.
“Oklahoma has become a national hotbed for earthquakes because companies are continuing to dispose of high volumes of wastewater from fracking deep underground despite the clear impact it is having upon the environment and community,” said Robin Greenwald, head of Weitz & Luxenberg’s Environmental and Consumer Protection Unit. “This is a case of corporations putting profits before people and it is time they are held accountable.”
Since 2009, seismic activity in Oklahoma has risen in both frequency and intensity. The increase in earthquakes has been linked to the growing volume of wastewater injected deep into the ground by companies with fracking operations. Records show that in 2009, Oklahoma recorded a maximum of 195 earthquakes in any given year. But by 2014, seismologists recorded over 5,000 earthquakes, with a particular increase in north-central Oklahoma, where most fracking occurs.
The law firm is also pursuing personal injury and property damage class action lawsuits, and is representing Native American tribes who are seeking compensation for damage caused to historic buildings on their property.
“For several years, damage and injury caused by human-made earthquakes has become an increasingly serious concern for residents of Oklahoma, and the 5.8 magnitude tremor in Pawnee last month showed that this problem is not going away any time soon,” said Curt Marshall, associate attorney in Weitz & Luxenberg’s Environmental Toxic Tort litigation unit. “This community meeting presents an opportunity for Oklahomans to share how these companies have impacted their lives, as well as hear how we can work together to stop them.”
The meeting will be held at the Pawnee Nation’s Roam Chief Building, 810 Morris Road, Pawnee, OK 74058, at 12:00 pm on Saturday, October 29, 2016, and will be co-hosted by the Sierra Club, the Pawnee Nation, Pawnee Mayor Brad Sewell and the Poynter Law Group. Todd Halahan, an Oklahoma State University Geology and Hydrogeology Professor and a member of the Oklahoma Governor’s Coordinating Council on Seismic Activity, and Rep. Dennis Casey will also be in attendance.