Couple blame Range for methane in water |

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A Parker County couple who sued Range Resources last year over water well contamination say their well was infiltrated with methane as a result of improper casing and cementing of two of the company's natural gas wells, according to documents filed in court.

Fort Worth-based Range maintains that its Butler and Teal wells, drilled more than a mile deep into the Barnett Shale, did not cause or contribute to contamination of the water well at Steve and Shyla Lipsky's home in the upscale Silverado subdivision in far south Parker County.

The well is about 200 feet deep and draws from the Trinity Aquifer.

The well was also the subject of an Environmental Protection Agency emergency order issued against Range 13 months ago. Range is also fighting the EPA order in federal court.

The Lipskys, in their lawsuit pending before State District Judge Trey Loftin in Parker County, say Range's "failure to cement the surface casing of the Butler and Teal wells to a depth of at least 1,000 feet" caused natural gas from geological formations above the Barnett Shale to seep into their water supply. Methane is the primary component of natural gas.

Range denies that claim, which is "unsupported by facts and based on speculation," company spokesman Matt Pitzarella said in an e-mail response to Star-Telegram questions.





http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/13/3659001/couple-blame-range-for-methane.html

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1. Best of luck to them

Homeowners and property owners have to continue to challenge this industry because you know they only care about their bottom line. They have no real investment in these communities except to extract the gas from the ground.