Sunday, June 10, 2012

Jury Selection Set In Coal Slurry Lawsuit

{Madison, West Virginia}...Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Madison Tuesday after about 350 residents of Seth and Prenter, in Boone County, filed a lawsuit against Massey Energy and its subsidiary Rawl Sales & Processing Co., claiming mining activities, including the underground injection of coal slurry, are to blame for discolored, foul-smelling well water and health problems. Boone Circuit Judge William Thompson is presiding over the trial, which will focus on personal injury and property damage claims of 14 individuals whose cases are representative of the rest of the community. The trial will also decide if all residents who sued are entitled to future medical monitoring costs to ensure early detection of any diseases linked to drinking water contaminated by the mining operations.