Statoil wants property money back from counties in West Virginia’s northern panhandle
Thursday, July 21, 2016
If you’re a landowner in Ohio, Brooke, Wetzel or Marshall County, West Virginia, Statoil is asking county commissioners for $6.5 million in property tax money to be returned due to a clerical error, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register reports.
In Ohio County, Statoil requested $2.9 million, but county commissioners rejected the request. In Brooke County, Statoil requested that $1.8 million in property taxes be returned, but the decision to issue the refund or not is yet to be determined.
Commissioners in Wetzel County are still deciding whether or not the requested $1.4 million should be refunded. In Marshall County, Statoil requested $342,000, but county commissioners denied the request.
Read more: The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register > Statoil Wants Money Back From Local Counties
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.