| A retired Roane County educator who was instrumental in filing a multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit against Columbia Natural Resources, has died.
G. Garrison Tawney, 90, of Looneyville died at his home after a sudden illness.
The lawsuit, which now represents several thousand WV royalty owners, alleges CNR cheated them and committed common fraud.
The suit contends the company made illegal or unauthorized deductions when selling gas to their affiliated companies at less than a fair price.
The alleged problems surfaced early-on regarding CNR's deep well drilling in Roane's Geary District, in which Tawney was involved as a royalty owner.
The lawsuit is about whether CNR can make deductions from royalties it pays to its oil and gas lease holders and whether those deductions were intentionally concealed from leaseholders.
The suit asks for the deductions from royalty payments and illegal gas sales be returned to the leaseholders.
Services for Mr. Tawney will be 2 p.m. Friday at Taylor-Vandale Funeral Home, Spencer, with the Rev. Mike King officiating. Burial will be in the Vineyard family cemetery, Looneyville. Visiting hours are scheduled for two hours prior to service at the funeral home.
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