Texas Injury Lawyers Blog
According to a report published by environmental watch group Earthworks, state regulators across the nation are placing Americans at risk by failing to properly inspect oil and gas wells. The report, titled Breaking All the Rules, examined regulatory data collected in six states: Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
The Earthworks research report claims most states do not have the resources or equipment necessary to adequately inspect every active oil and gas well within the state on a regular basis. For example, Pennsylvania guidelines suggest each active oil and gas well should be inspected five times per year. Instead, 91 percent of active wells were not inspected in 2010. According to the report, that means about 82,000 oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania were not examined by state regulators that year. In Colorado, 15 state inspectors were reportedly tasked with inspecting more than 16,000 wells in 2010. In New Mexico, 12 inspectors allegedly conducted a total of 20,780 reviews during the same year.
The report states oil and gas well safety violations are also poorly tracked. In both New Mexico and Colorado, comprehensive violation information is not available to the public. Instead, data is reportedly maintained on a well-by-well basis. Additionally, inspectors are reportedly free to determine whether an unsatisfactory well merits a violation. The group contends that companies who fail to adhere to health, safety, and environmental rules are rarely punished.
In the State of Texas, inspectors purportedly conducted more than 118,000 inspections and noted almost 56,000 violations in fiscal year 2012. Still, Earthworks maintains that action against oil and gas well operators is frequently deferred and financial penalties are often small. Patrick Creighton, a spokesperson for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an oil and gas production company consortium, called the Earthworks report into question. According to Creighton, the report is false and contrary to publicly available facts. He alleged Earthworks published the report in an effort to spread fear about the safety of the oil and gas industry.
Oil and gas workers are placed at risk whenever an oil company fails to adhere to proper safety regulations. Oil and well drilling accidents can be extremely complicated and the process for obtaining damages for any resulting injuries is often tough to navigate. If you or a family member was hurt as a result of an oil and gas company’s negligence, you should speak with a skilled oil and gas accident attorney as soon as possible.
If you were injured while working on an oil and gas well, contact Carabin Shaw today. Our knowledgeable Seguin oil and gas accident lawyers represent individuals who were hurt by someone else’s negligence throughout the State of Texas. At Carabin Shaw, our capable attorneys are available to answer your questions and help you file your personal injury case. Our hardworking lawyers assist injured clients located in McAllen, Beaumont, Laredo, Rockport, El Paso, Beeville, San Antonio, Seguin, Austin, and other Texas locations. To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced attorney, call Carabin Shaw toll free at (800) 862-1260 or contact us through the law firm’s website.
More Blogs:
Fresenius Medical Care Accused of Failure to Warn Patients of Known GranuFlo and Naturalyte Risks, Texas Injury Lawyers Blog, August 30, 2012
FMCSA Makes Improvements to Compliance Safety Accountability Enforcement Program in Texas, Throughout Nation, Texas Injury Lawyers Blog, August 28, 2012
Additional Resources:
Watchdog group faults states’ inspections of oil, gas wells, by Neela Banerjee, Los Angeles Times