Judge Consolidates Coal Slurry Lawsuits

{Morgantown, West Virginia}...Wednesday, Circuit Judge William Thompson issued an order consolidating 155 individual medical monitoring lawsuits involving about 350 residents of Seth and Prenter, in Boone County, who blame coal companies for contaminating their water supplies with mining activities including the underground injection of coal slurry. The plaintiffs are now served by public water lines and don't have to rely on their wells for consumption, but they're demanding periodic screening for diseases they believe they could contract because of long-term exposure to toxic substances. The cases were to be tried in small groups starting April 25th, but that date could change after a status conference Thursday.