Court Invalidates Fayette County (W.Va.) Ordinance Banning Underground Injection Well
On June 10, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order invalidating those parts of a Fayette County (W.Va.) ordinance that prohibit the use of underground injection wells for the disposal of produced water, and regulate the handling and storage of produced water at conventional oil and gas well sites. The court held that those provisions are preempted by state and federal law, and also struck down a provision that would have allowed local residents to bring enforcement actions under the ordinance. EQT Production Company v. Wender, et al. Civil Action No. 2:16cv290 (S.D.W.Va.).