COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments this week in a Trumbull County case involving a brine water disposal well that was shut down by the state after it caused minor earthquakes. The dispute centers on whether the state's actions constitute a "taking" of the company's property and, if so, how much compensation is owed.
It's the latest development in a legal battle that has been ongoing since the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ordered AWMS Water Solutions to suspend operations following a 2.1 magnitude earthquake on August 31, 2014.
The controversy began when AWMS, a company that operates disposal wells for oil and gas wastewater, was authorized by ODNR to begin injections at its facility on State Route 169 in Weathersfield Township. Within months,