Advertisement 4 Oklahoma energy companies named as defendants in class-action lawsuit Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A New York-based law firm announced Thursday it has filed a class-action petition against four Oklahoma energy companies that they say have refused to end fracking operations.Weitz & Luxenberg, in partnership with Poynter Law Group, filed the lawsuit against SandRidge Energy, New Dominion, Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy, according to a news release. The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Logan County after an increase in the number and magnitude of earthquakes in Oklahoma.“Despite compelling evidence, these companies continue to inject wastewater into wells at an alarming rate, all the while knowing that their activities are jeopardizing residents’ homes and livelihoods," said Robin Greenwald, head of Weitz & Luxenberg’s environmental, toxic tort and consumer protection litigation unit. "They must compensate the many thousands of Oklahomans who not only worry about the value of their homes but also their personal safety should one of the earthquakes cause even greater harm, including the loss of life.“Just last week, the state was rocked by two of the largest earthquakes seen in recent years, which followed a series of smaller earthquakes in the week prior. This lawsuit seeks redress for the damage these earthquakes and those before them have caused.”The suit claims the companies are liable to the plaintiffs and the class for private nuisance, ultra-hazardous activities, negligence and trespass in their actions, which the lawsuit says have led to Oklahoma residents' harm and suffering.“These companies have acted with reckless abandon in their drilling practices and it is time they be held accountable for the damage they have caused and continue to cause,” said Curt Marshall, an attorney in the firm’s environmental, toxic tort and consumer protection litigation unit.Weitz & Luxenberg is asking the four Oklahoma energy companies to strengthen structures that could be damaged or destroyed by large earthquakes. The law firm also is looking to establish an independent earthquake monitoring and prediction center to analyze and predict the connection between increased seismic activity and fracking, the news release said.