By MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press

A gas driller is escalating its campaign against a Pennsylvania homeowner who's long accused the company of polluting his water, demanding that he be thrown in jail over his failure to submit to questioning as part of the company's $5 million lawsuit against him.

Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. sued Dimock resident Ray Kemble and his former lawyers in 2017, claiming they tried to extort the company through a federal lawsuit. Cabot also says Kemble violated a 2012 settlement agreement by publicly bad-mouthing the company.

Cabot says Kemble has skipped two depositions in the case. It wants him put behind bars until he meets with the company's lawyers. Kemble says he was unable to go the depositions because of his poor health. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.

An environmental group calls Cabot's stance an outrage.

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