The oil and gas industry has reaped profits without ensuring there will be money to plug and clean up their wells. In Oklahoma, that work could cost more than $7 billion if it falls to the state.
Stan’s 84-year-old parents, Don and Shirley Ledgerwood, have watched oil companies drill multiple wells on their farm, where the family had grown crops and run cattle. The family received small royalty payments from the oil production.
Which still does not say that their parents let them. They received the royalty payments I’m assuming because the law about mineral rights requires the drillers to pay the land owners.
Nowhere in this article does it say they ever gave them permission. From what I understand their parents did not sell the mineral rights.
Can you please cite where it says or implies otherwise?
They didn’t need to sell the mineral rights because they never owned them. They had people on their land, which they did own, and accepted payment instead of chasing them off. Probably even thought it was a good deal at the time. And that’s what I’ve been getting at this whole time. These people are quibbling over who owns what and who should compensate who instead of questioning the bigger issue of mining for hazardous resources immediately adjacent to food production. Nobody gives a shit about anyone down the line. Parents, landowners, oil companies, nobody.
All the article says about their parents is:
Which still does not say that their parents let them. They received the royalty payments I’m assuming because the law about mineral rights requires the drillers to pay the land owners.
Nowhere in this article does it say they ever gave them permission. From what I understand their parents did not sell the mineral rights.
Can you please cite where it says or implies otherwise?
They didn’t need to sell the mineral rights because they never owned them. They had people on their land, which they did own, and accepted payment instead of chasing them off. Probably even thought it was a good deal at the time. And that’s what I’ve been getting at this whole time. These people are quibbling over who owns what and who should compensate who instead of questioning the bigger issue of mining for hazardous resources immediately adjacent to food production. Nobody gives a shit about anyone down the line. Parents, landowners, oil companies, nobody.