Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Hardee

HUTCHESON, Chief Judge.

The suit, brought by rice farmers against four oil companies operating producing wells and one pipe line company in the vicinity of plaintiffs’ lands, was for damages to plaintiffs’ crops and land resulting from the pollution and contamination of the waters of Hickory Creek which were used by them for irrigation.

The claim in general was: that in July, 1948, Hickory Creek, which is normally a fresh water creek fed by springs and periodical rains, received into it a discharge of salt water and other contaminating and injurious substances; that these defendants were…