For the residents of the Dimock community, Cabot Oil and Gas pledged to compensate the locals and construct a safe and clean water reserve.
The tragedy unfolded in 2009. Methane began seeping into the residents of Dimock’s private water wells as a result of an explosion. The firm, formerly Cabot Oil and Gas, was responsible for the explosion.
The people, however, could not pass liability to the accountable party after years of lawsuits and efforts against the corporation. As a result, the residents of Dimock lodged 15 criminal complaints, including nine felonies, against Cabot Oil. However, Cabot declined to take the blame until fourteen years later.
The statement claims that Pennsylvania American Water will get $16.29 million from Cabot. To build public water infrastructure, the corporation will use the funding. The development will provide clean water to the public, especially for disadvantaged homes. The business also guarantees to cover all homeowners’ water expenses for 75 years.
However, many people believe that authorities should punish Cabot Oil for its actions. For example, Ray Kemble, a Dimock resident, argued that the court should take the company’s protracted rejection into account.
“For every person affected by gas drilling, oil drilling, around the world, everybody is going to be looking at them now. They’re not going to be able to sit there and do what they did here for 14 years. So deny, deny, deny, deny. [Saying we] are liars. They’re going to be held accountable,” he said.
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Cabot Oil must accept accountability
Josh Shapiro, the attorney general, highlighted the period people endured before receiving the clean water they were entitled to.
Unfortunately, 14 years was too much time, in his opinion. Already, there is devastation. Shapiro and the locals also criticized the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and demanded that it establish strong regulations for community water safety.
“There were failures at every level. The local elected officials, where someone would normally go, ignored them. The regulators whose job it is to set the boundaries for the industry to operate in failed,” Shapiro said.
“Our elected officials, DEP, EPA, failed us miserably,” added Victoria Switzer, a citizen.
“They’re all going to have to sit there and eat crow because everyone has been lying about us for a decade. Saying this is fake, it’s false and everything else. Well, after today, me and the rest of my neighbors of Dimock, we’re vindicated. Showing we’ve been telling the truth all these years,” Kemble added.
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Cabot’s answer to the allegations
In a statement, Cabot Oil, which changed its name to Coterra, stated that they want to lessen the consequences. Speaking on behalf of the company, George Stark said they “closely worked with the Office of Attorney General to resolve historical matters.”
“As our operations today showcase, Coterra strives to follow best practices and exceed industry standards,” Stark said.
“We are committed to being a responsible steward of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. And we will continue to work closely with our landowners and community leaders,” he added.
“Every damn one of them should be going to jail because they knew what was going on here. They knew the water pollution was happening. They knew people were dying, they knew it was toxic, and they just sat there and denied, denied, denied, denied,” Kemble concluded.
Photo Credit: AP
Source: NPR
