PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is
being issued by Kroll Settlement Administration
regarding McEvoy v. Diversified Energy and EQT, No.
22-cv-00171-JPB (N.D. W. Va.).
A proposed settlement has been reached in a lawsuit called
McEvoy v. Diversified Energy and EQT that alleges Diversified and EQT engaged in
improper transfers of certain oil and gas wells and that
Diversified wrongfully used land by failing to plug certain
non-producing wells, among other things. Diversified and EQT deny
any wrongdoing but have decided that it is in their best interests
to settle the case in order to avoid the risk and expenses of
further litigation.
Who is included in the Settlement?
Members of the
class are persons and entities that owned-from July 8, 2022 to November
4, 2024-a surface interest in land in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Tennessee, with a Diversified Energy oil and
gas well on that land.
What are the Settlement Benefits?
The settlement
requires Diversified to plug 2,600 wells in the affected states by
December 31, 2034. If you have any
health, safety, or environmental concerns, you can apply for
well-plugging at no cost through a Court appointed administrator.
More details are on www.DECSettlement.com.
What
are your Rights & Options?
- Do Nothing: Be a member of the class, with the
opportunity to have non-producing wells plugged over the next 10
years. Give up certain legal rights resolved by the settlement,
including the right to sue Diversified until January 1, 2034, for failing to plug your well.
Diversified and EQT contest that citizens have a right to bring any
such lawsuit.
- Opt-Out: You get out of the settlement and keep the
right to sue for claims in this case. You will not be a member of
the class, and you will not release claims (to the extent they
existed) against Diversified and EQT. The deadline to opt out is
February 18, 2025.
- Object: To object, you must remain in the class and
explain to the Court any specific disagreements you have with the
proposed settlement. The deadline to object is March 17, 2025.
The Court will hold a Fairness hearing at the US District Court
for the Northern District of West
Virginia, 1125 Chapline Street, Wheeling, WV 26003 on April 11, 2025, to consider approval of the
settlement, a payment up to a total of $6,500,000 or Class Counsel for attorneys' fees,
plus Class Counsel's expenses, and an award of $3,000 for each Class Representative. In a Class
Action Lawsuit, the Court appoints Class representatives and
lawyers to work on the case and represent the interests of all
Class Members. All motions filed by Class Counsel will be available
on the website before the hearing. You may appear at the hearing,
at your own expense, but you do not need to. You may also hire your
own lawyer, at your own expense.
This is only a summary. More details about the
Proposed Settlement and
instructions on how to object or exclude yourself
are available at www.DECSettlement.com or
by calling (833) 627-3696.
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SOURCE Kroll Settlement Administration
