Judge tosses suit claiming health harm by Antero by Dennis Webb, May 11, 2012, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
A judge has tossed out a lawsuit in which a family had accused Antero Resources of harming their health through its oil and gas operations on Silt Mesa. Denver District Court Judge Ann Frick found that lawyers for Bill and Beth Strudley had failed to provide enough evidence of chemical exposure or a causal link to the operations to warrant going through discovery and further court proceedings. “Though the evidence shows existence of certain gases and compounds in both the air and water of Plaintiffs’ Silt home, there is neither sufficient data nor expert analysis stating with any level of probability that a causal connection does in fact exist between Plaintiffs’ injuries and Plaintiffs’ exposure to Defendants’ drilling activities,” Frick wrote in this week’s ruling. The lawsuit also had named Frontier Drilling LLC and Calfrac Well Services as defendants. … Strudley attorney Corey Zurbuch called the judge’s ruling “extremely disappointing.” “We found it surprising. We’re looking at our options for appeal,” he said. … In support of her ruling, Frick pointed to a Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission determination that the Strudleys’ well water wasn’t affected by oil and gas operations. She also cited the defendants’ testimony that the oil and gas operations were conducted according to commission and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment rules designed to protect health and the environment.