Texas Law Firm Questions Water Use for Fracking During State's Record Drought

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) July 13, 2011

Houston property contamination attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin today called for more scrutiny of hydraulic fracturing in Texas as the state’s drought continues into record-breaking territory.

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a process of pumping water and chemicals into the ground to break up shale rock and free oil and natural gas for extraction. The process, which has come under fire primarily because of the toxic chemicals used, is also receiving scrutiny in the Lone Star State because it requires millions of gallons of water to open a single well.

“When news reports say the current drought is now the most severe since record-keeping began 116 years ago, it is time to reassess all discretionary uses of water,” said Arnold, a Houston lawyer and co-founding partner of Arnold & Itkin LLP.

“If you’re using millions of gallons of water in a process that is suspect in the first place, that’s certainly a place to cut back, if not a practice to consider suspending until the drought eases.”

The attorneys of Arnold & Itkin LLP, a nationally recognized Houston personal injury law firm , have assisted several clients throughout Texas and elsewhere with claims of toxic exposure resulting from groundwater and property contamination related to fracking.

“We recognize the number of jobs created by the Eagle Ford Shale fracking project in South Texas, but we suggest that the drilling must be done responsibly to avoid damaging people’s lives and property,” said Itkin, a Houston attorney who along with Arnold has won dozens of multi-million-dollar judgments and settlements for Texans injured by corporate negligence and product failures.

“We’re also pleased by our state’s approval of the nation’s first law requiring drillers to publicly disclose the chemicals they use in fracking,” Itkin continued. “But that law goes into effect in July 2012, which is a long way away. Fracking remains a potentially dangerous and, during a drought, wasteful practice.”

Arnold and Itkin said that anyone who believes their property or groundwater has been contaminated by fracking or other industrial use of chemicals should seek experienced legal help to protect their property values and personal rights.

“While water conservation is a civic duty we can advocate, refraining from contaminating groundwater and endangering people is a legal duty that we are certainly ready to take action to see enforced,” Arnold said.

Baytown Exxon Plant Under Fire for Poor Safety Record | Terry ...

June 22, 2011

The United Steelworkers Union has taken aim at Exxon Mobil Corporation’s refinery in Baytown, Texas, following an accident where a worker was burned by steam on Tuesday, June 14.

Two days after the incident the union  issued a statement that publicly criticizes the 560,640-barrel-per-day refinery, which—the steelworkers say—is responsible for 33 safety incidents since 2010.

The latest injured employee was burned while operating a steam-vent valve on a flexicoker and suffered burns on 25 percent of his body. A helicopter transported him to a Houston hospital.

“This incident proves ExxonMobil must do a better job on process safety,” says USW International Vice President Gary Beevers. “Fortunately [the victim] is in stable condition at the Hermann hospital in Houston and is expected to recover. Our union is conducting an exhaustive investigation into finding the root causes of this incident so that it doesn’t happen again … These 33 occurrences prove there are far too many process safety incidents at this refinery. Since the Baytown facility is the nation’s largest refinery it should lead the way in process safety.”

In a separate statement , Exxon spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer responded, “We regret that an ExxonMobil employee working in the Baytown Complex was injured … In-plant medical personnel responded, and the individual was transported for treatment.”

The United Steelworkers Union lays claim to 850,000 members, making it the largest industrial union in North America.

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