I’ve blogged about the impact of fracking – the use of pressurized, usually chemically-treated water to extract otherwise inaccessible pockets of oil and gas from underground – on the quality of groundwater (remember the picture of a flame coming out of a kitchen water faucet?). I have alluded to how such processes may destabilize the underlying rock and ground formations, resulting in earthquakes. We’ve seen one lawsuit (filed in Wise Country Texas – Parr vs. Aruba Petroleum, under appeal) filed by one family against the disruption of a local oil drilling company on their quality of life. Fracking-damage was initially one of the claims, dismissed by the court for lack of sufficient evidence, but the family won on other elements of disruption of this private “nuisance.”
There have been an increasing number of earthquakes in areas that have traditionally been safe from all-but-a-very-few of those shakers but have recently become vast areas for oil and gas extraction using fracking. The first question any prudent investigator has to ask is whether, absent some massive explosive force, humans can actually cause earthquakes. If you consider the U.S. Geological Survey as a credible source, then the answer is “yes.” “In a [2011] studyinvolving researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, scientists observed that a human-induced magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma in November 2011 may have triggered the larger M5.7 earthquake less than a day later. This research suggests that the M5.7 quake was the largest human-caused earthquake associated with wastewater injection.
“‘The observation that a human-induced earthquake can trigger a cascade of earthquakes, including a larger one, has important implications for reducing the seismic risk from wastewater injection,’ said USGS seismologist and coauthor of the study Elizabeth Cochran… A USGS release reports that historically, earthquakes in the central United States have been uncommon. Yet in the year 2011 alone, numerous moderate-size earthquakes occurred in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Arkansas. Many of these earthquakes occurred near waste-water injection wells, and some have been shown to be caused by human activities.” Homeland Security News Wire, March 10th. And what do you think this waste-water injection is used for? Oh yeah, most of it for fracking.
Oklahoma has battled tornados since the beginning of recorded history, but earthquakes have not been one of the risks in living in this oil and gas-rich state… until now. “Many residents in Oklahoma are questioning whether hydraulic fracking is to blame for the sudden increase in earthquakes, but for transportation officials, the security of the state’s 6,800 bridges is the immediate concern. There are 468 bridges in Oklahoma which are classified as ‘structurally deficient,’ and most were not built with frequent earthquakes in mind. Earthquakes have become so common, however, that inspectors have had to inspect bridges several times a week.” Homeland Security News Wire, April 29th.
“Central Oklahoma has seen a massive increase in earthquakes in recent years, leading geological scientists to link the uptick in quakes to oil and gas development in the way of hydraulic fracking… From 1975 to 2008, the US Geological Survey found that central Oklahoma experienced one to three 3.0-magntitude earthquakes per year, The Nation reported. That number jumped to an average of 40 a year from 2009 to 2013... The state has received 25 such quakes this year, and 150 total quakes just this week. Overall, the entire state of Oklahoma has experienced 500 earthquakes of any magnitude since Jan. 1.” RT.com, February 20th (note the date of the cite!!!)
People are scared, but the United States is rapidly approaching regaining Saudi Arabia-level status as an oil producer, enough for ourselves and, assuming the regulations regulating oil exports are adjusted, for export. Oil shale and fracking-driven extraction are the reason. What a value for the nation… and the pockets of those in the business. We have enough locally-available (including Mexico and Canada) petroleum to satisfy our internal needs for a very long time to come, and consumer demand is slacking as automobiles become less gas-guzzling (or totally electric-motor driven).
“Scientists have linked a rising number of quakes in normally calm parts of Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Colorado to below-ground injection. In the last four years, the number of quakes in the middle of the United States jumped 11-fold from the three decades prior, the authors of the Geology study estimate. Last year, a group at the U.S. Geological Survey also attributed a remarkable rise in small- to mid-size quakes in the region to humans. The risk is serious enough that the National Academy of Sciences, in a report last year called for further research to ‘understand, limit and respond’ to induced seismic events. Despite these studies, wastewater injection continues near the Oklahoma earthquakes.” Earth.Columbia.edu, March 26, 2013.
Town hall meetings all over Oklahoma oil country have ranchers and homeowners voicing their concerns, suggesting that the state call a moratorium on fracking. Unlikely, given the economic power of oil and gas interests in that state. But there are some serious questions that need answering. These new petroleum sources seem rather clearly, to me and lots of folks living near the extraction sites, to have some serious side effects. And once again, we have to ask the policy question as to who is responsible for the social, physical and environmental costs associated with such extraction methods. In fact, with powerful tax breaks and incentives for oil and gas exploration, entrepreneurs (or huge oil and gas companies) in this space pay proportionately less tax than the rest of us. Who’s going to pay to fix those roads and bridges? Who’s going to compensate homeowners for cracked foundations and foul water?
Occasionally, we see a momentary reaction to a fracking-related quake, like the June 29th halt to one particular waste-water injection site in Weld County, Colorado following one small local quake (2.6 on the Richter Scale). But when are we going to ask the tough questions? Ever?
New York has one solution: “In a decision with far-reaching implications for the future of natural gas drilling in New York State, its highest court ruled on Monday that towns can use zoning ordinances to ban hydraulic fracturing, the controversial extraction method known as fracking… There is already a statewide moratorium on fracking, and the State Health Department is currently studying its potential health effects.” New York Times, June 30th. But that’s the wusses on the east coast! How about dem real tuff Texans?
How about making the local citizens pay for earthquake insurance? Texans don’t seem to care! “Rumors had been circulating that Texas residents had been preemptively purchasing earthquake insurance coverage in light of the unnerving association [with fracking], but Rebecca Salinas for the San Antonio News-Express reports that this is simply not the case. Not only is earthquake insurance expensive and difficult to find in Texas, but Texans don’t seem to think the insurance is worth it.” EagleforTexas.com, June 16th. Yeee haaaa! One way or another, someone is gonna pay!
I’m Peter Dekom, and the big balancing act of economic vs. other interest needs to happen… now!
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