This story about the courageous citizens and local government officials of Grant Township was written and published by The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF).

Should a liquor distributor be allowed to sue a “dry county” over lost profits?

Should a tobacco company be allowed to sue a municipality over profits lost due to a city smoking ban?

Should an oil and gas company be allowed to sue a township over profits lost, due to that community banning local disposal of the company’s waste products?

In Pennsylvania, that’s exactly what has happened. The township has been ordered to pay the corporation for its unrealized “savings,” and CELDF attorneys – defending the democratically-enacted community ban on fracking waste disposal – have been sanctioned by the court for “frivolous” defense.

The industry calls the decision “a win for the rule of law over people who want to take the law into their own hands.” MORE…