Exxon CEO Hops on Suit to Stop ... Fracking Activity

Lots of people wouldn't want fracking-related activities taking place near their homes—but when one of those people is the CEO of Exxon Mobil, it raises some eyebrows. The Wall Street Journal last week revealed that Exxon chief Rex Tillerson has joined a lawsuit spearheaded by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey to oppose the construction of a 160-foot water tower near their respective estates in Bartonville, Texas. The suit cites many objections to the tower, but one of them is that its water will be sold to hydraulic fracking companies.

In this case, the environmental concerns around fracking aren't at play; according to Courthouse News, the suit complains that selling the water for fracking will lead to "traffic with heavy trucks … creating a noise nuisance and traffic hazards." But it's still fairly ironic given that Exxon is the biggest natural gas producer in the country, and Tillerson has been a vocal public opponent of regulating fracking, Climate Progress observes. A lawyer for Tillerson says he's "never expressed" any fracking concerns, and is simply worried the tower will devalue his property—a $5 million horse ranch.