
Subscribe for updates
Recent Posts
- Third Circuit Holds Contribution Action Accrues on Entry of Consent Order but Doesn’t Decide Which Limitations Period Applies
- NJ Superior Court Upholds Municipal Courts’ Jurisdiction to Issue Civil Penalties Under the N.J. Spill Act
- Fifth Circuit Rules Landfill Odors Are Permanent Nuisance
- Montana Supreme Court Holds No Private Right of Enforcement of Water Use Act
- Federal Court Holds Medical Monitoring Available for PFAS Exposure Despite Lack of Injury
Topics
- Water Use
- PFAS
- Ohio
- Arbitration
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Climate Change
- Auer Deference
- Commonwealth Court
- Fees
- West Virginia
- Forest Service
- TSCA
- Martime
- Asbestos
- Federal Tort Claims Act
- New Mexico
- Utah
- Tribal Lands
- Delaware
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
- National Forest Management Act
- FERC
- Endangered Species Act
- Chevron Deference
- United States Supreme Court
- HSCA
- Alter Ego
- Corporate Veil
- Allocation
- Eleventh Amendment
- Delaware River Basin Commission
- Minimg
- Intervention
- New Hampshire
- First Circuit
- PCBs
- Property Damage
- Building Materials
- Groundwater
- Natural Resource Damages
- Brownfields
- Brownfield
- Innocent Party
- Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- PHMSA
- Environmental Rights Amendment
- FOIA
- Effluents
- Sediment Sites
- EHB
- Texas
- Missouri
- Pipelines
- Coal Ash
- Injunction
- Spoliation
- Stormwater
- TMDL
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Colorado
- Michigan
- Drinking Water
- North Carolina
- Bankruptcy
- Hearing Board
- Civil Penalties
- Clean Streams Law
- Arranger Liability
- Sovereign Immunity
- Retroactive
- Damages
- Stigma
- Property Value
- Tax assessment
- Fair Market Value
- Storage Tank
- Indemnification
- Energy
- Electric
- Fifth Circuit
- Ninth Circuit
- Arizona
- OPRA
- Attorney-Client
- Iowa
- Fourth Circuit
- Discovery Rule
- Eighth Circuit
- Administrative Appeals
- Taxes
- Preemption
- CAFA
- Freshwater Wetlands Protect Act
- Inspection
- Residential
- New York
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Natural Gas Act
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Hazardous Air Pollutants
- Mercury
- D.C. Circuit
- HAPs
- Condemnation
- Takings
- Natural Gas
- Storage
- Flooding
- Takings Clause
- Fifth Amendment
- Causation
- Spill Act
- NEPA
- Interior
- Mineral Leasing Act
- Tenth Circuit
- California
- Act 13
- Zoning
- Duty to Defend
- Insurance Coverage
- Eminent Domain
- Landfill
- Private Right of Action
- Sixth Circuit
- Illinois
- Water
- Citizen Suit
- Diligent Prosecution
- Subject Matter Jurisdiction
- Arkansas
- Pennsylvania
- Press
- Uncategorized
- Maryland
- Eleventh Circuit
- Montana
- Navigability
- Riverbed
- Equal-Footing Doctrine
- Indiana
- Seventh Circuit
- Breach of Contract
- Public Lands
- Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser
- Green House Counsel
- Enforcement
- Equity
- Boiler MACT
- Laches
- CISWI
- Delay Notice
- EPA
- Rulemaking
- Consent Decree
- Contribution
- Declaratory Relief
- Second Circuit
- Procedure
- NPDES
- Standing
- Dimock
- Medical Monitoring
- Case Update
- Legislation
- Certification
- Contamination
- Dukes
- Louisiana
- CLE
- Discovery
- Expert Witness
- Privilege
- Work Product
- Defense Costs
- Insurance
- Consultant Liability
- Negligence
- Remediation
- Response Action Contractors
- Army Corps
- Donovan
- Rapanos
- Farming
- Hog Barn
- Kentucky
- Class Actions
- Nuisance
- Odors
- Trespass
- ISRA
- Administrative Hearing
- Informal Agency Action
- New Jersey
- Emissions
- Railroad
- Air
- RCRA
- Waste
- Cancer
- Combustion
- CERCLA
- Speaking Engagements
- Federal Procedure
- Removal
- Third Circuit
- Toxic Torts
- Statute of Limitations
- Title V
- Clean Air Act
- Permits
- Cost Recovery
- Cleanup
- Superfund
- Supreme Court
- Camp Lejeune
- Multi-District Litigation
- Statute of Repose
- Tolling
- Clean Water Act
- Deeds
- Due Process
- Marcellus Shale
- Enforcement Action
- Mineral Rights
- Wetlands
- Cases to Watch
- Administrative Procedures Act
- Drilling
- Exploration
- Leases
- Oil and Gas
- Royalties
- Decisions of Note
- Real Estate
Blog editor
Blog Contributors
Last fall we wrote about the decision in Butler v. Estate of Powers in which the Pennsylvania Superior Court appeared to overturn more than 100 years of case law to cast doubt on whether the natural gas found in shale is a “mineral” for purposes of deed interpretation. We called it a “Case to Watch,” and it looks like we were right because earlier this month the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
From their petition for allowance of appeal, we know that the plaintiffs in Butler will argue that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should reverse, and apply the rule from the Dunham case, which created a rebuttable presumption in Pennsylvania that the owner of “mineral rights” does not own rights in a property’s natural gas stores. Given the fact that so many leases have been written relying on this rule, it is hard to imagine that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would do anything else. In fact, it could do even more, and hold as a rule of law that deeds that convey or reserve mineral rights do not include the rights to natural gas. Given the activities in the Marcellus Shale and other shale plays, any additional certainty in this area of the law would surely be welcomed by all interested parties.