Louisiana woman sues Texas company for toxic release from well blowout

Mantle Oil & Gas LLC, based in Friendswood, Tx., is being sued by a Louisiana resident for the release of toxic chemicals from a 2010 oil and gas well blowout.

Peggy Alcee of Assumption Parish says she and other residents have been suffering respiratory problems, burning eyes and skin problems since the blowout occurred in a sugar cane field near Paintcourtville, La. on Aug. 11, 2010. She filed the lawsuit exactly one year later in Galveston County District Court.

Gas, oil, brine, diesel-hydrocarbons and other toxic chemicals gushed high into the air for over a week, “contaminat(ing) the personal and real property of the individuals who were property owners and/or domiciled within the area affected by the release,” the original petition states.

The blowout forced evacuations with several miles of the blowout and sections of Louisiana Highways 70 and 1 were closed for a time, Alcee said.

The defendant is accused of breach of a legally imposed duty of reasonable care, failure to operate the well safely and failure to follow its own procedures to stop the release of toxic substances.

Alcee seeks unspecified monetary damages by jury trial.

Source: Southeast Texas Record