Couple blames gas company for property damage

CHARLESTON - A Big Creek couple says Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. of Texas is to blame for damage done to their land.

Charles and Sarah Adams filed a lawsuit July 3 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Cabot, claiming it caused several problems after removing a boulder.

"Defendant's activities have a devastating impact on the plaintiffs' property, causing significant soil erosion and additional ground disturbance," the complaint says.

Gail Henderson-Staples of Huntington law firm Henderson, Henderson and Staples is representing the plaintiffs.

The Adams claim Cabot removed a boulder in July and August of 2004 from their approximately 50-acre parcel of land located in Logan County without their permission.

Among the listed problems the Adams say they now encounter are: Loss of timber, loss of topsoil by erosion, destruction of ground cover, loss of use, sedimentation of streams, diminution in value of land, loss of real property, destruction and deterioration of property due to acid runoff, annoyance, inconvenience, aggravation, emotional distress, obstruction of drains and ditches and a risk of harm.

They add that Cabot, a Texas-based corporation, "knows actions caused physical and emotional harm to Plaintiffs and their property and diminished value of the property."

The Adams are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as court costs.

Judge Louis Bloom has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-1300