How can releases of hazardous substances adversely impact landowners?
Off-site migration of contaminants that are the byproducts of drilling can also be a problem. For example, if contaminants migrate off-site into an aquifer and contaminate the drinking water source for a neighbor’s livestock, the landowner may be a target of litigation, even if the drilling company is the culpable party. The landowner might have claims against the drilling company, and probably would, but he still has the problem of the migration of contaminants off his property onto adjacent property. At what point should landowners involve attorneys in leasing? The earlier the better, particularly if they are relatively new to the process. These days, with oil at $60 a barrel, anybody can go out and drill for oil and gas. So it makes sense for inexperienced landowners to work with attorneys to protect them against potentially expensive environmental problems. How can attorneys provide guidance to landowners? The simple answer is to help them minimize risks and maximize financial bene
