Residents claim negligence, sue Chesapeake

Residents claim negligence, sue Chesapeake by Steve Mocarsky, April 7, 2012, Times Leader
Representing three Bradford County families, O’Malley, of O’Malley & Langan in Scranton, and New York attorney William Friedlander, filed a petition in U.S. District Court seeking to force Chesapeake Energy Corp. into arbitration, claiming the company contaminated their water, devalued their land and caused many other hardships. Chesapeake Appalachia LLC and Nomac Drilling LLC are also named as respondents. … The petition also states that the families “suffered water and property contamination caused by the negligent and grossly negligent oil and gas drilling activities” of the companies, which “caused the release, spill, discharge, and emission of combustible gases, hazardous chemicals, and industrial wastes from their oil and gas drilling facilities.” … O’Malley said clauses in the leases require arbitration for such disputes, but the companies have refused to arbitrate.