Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Texas' 9th Court Orders New Trial In Groundwater Trespass Suit

Texas Water Lawyer & Water Rights Attorney Trey Wilson wrote:

The 9th Court of Appeals for Texas (Beaumont) has  reversed a jury verdict and ordered a new trial in a decadelong dispute over whether an East Texas wastewater injection well trespassed into a neighboring pool of saltwater deep underground. The case opinion, styled FPL Farming Ltd. v. Environmental Processing Systems L.C., resulted in a holding  FPL had shown evidence at trial of a trespass into its subsurface water.

Despite claims by FPL that EPS trespassed onto its property by causing subsurface wastewater to migrate into the subterranean level of FPL's tracts, the jury failed to find that a trespass had occurred. The court of appeals, however, determined that the trial court misallocated the burden of proof, and remanded the case for trial on the issue of trespass. 

The full opinion is available HERE.

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Trey Wilson: Texas Water Lawyer -- Texas Groundwater Permit and Water Rights Attorney

Trey Wilson: Texas Water Lawyer -- Texas Groundwater Permit and Water Rights Attorney
Trey Wilson -- Texas Water Lawyer, Groundwater Permit and Water Rights Attorney