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Resident urges commissioners to scrutinize Seneca Resources after criminal charges
Summary
John Rosenberger told the commission the attorney general filed 64 misdemeanor and 36 felony charges against Seneca Resources across three incidents and asked the board not to "rubber stamp" future permits or work by the company.
John Rosenberger, who identified himself during public comment, asked the Cameron County Commissioners to scrutinize any future activity by Seneca Resources in the county after the attorney general's office filed criminal charges. Rosenberger said a July 2022 wastewater-line rupture released fracking wastewater into the aquifer and contaminated his home's well, prompting a civil suit and a prolonged investigation.
"The attorney general's office filed 64 misdemeanor charges and 36 felony charges against Seneca Resources for 3 different incidents," Rosenberger said, and he asked the commission to request detailed information and impact analyses for any future water-withdrawal permits or infrastructure proposed by the company rather than approving them automatically. Commissioners accepted copies of the charging documents and asked Rosenberger to provide them to staff so they could be kept with the meeting records. Rosenberger emphasized that parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty but urged caution and scrutiny in local approvals while criminal matters are pending.
