News
West Virginia AG Targets 2 Stores Over Water Pricing Gouging
By: Associated Press
Posted on:
West Virginia's attorney general is accusing a convenience store company of illegally raising water prices while running water was unusable after a chemical spill.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed the enforcement action Friday in Putnam County Circuit Court, claiming Mid Valley Mart LLC more than doubled prices for one-gallon water jugs to $3.39 at two stores in Hurricane. The complaint also says one customer paid more than $40 for 12 one-gallon jugs.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, reimbursement to customers and fines in excess of $5,000 per violation.
It's illegal in West Virginia to raise prices on essential products and services by more than 10 percent in a state of emergency.
The Jan. 9 chemical spill in Charleston spill spurred a tap water-use ban for days for 300,000 West Virginians.