SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"If the government and the Kansas Corporation Commission care about the people of Kansas and the damages, they will order a moratorium," says environmentalist. (Photo: bill baker/flickr/cc)
Yet Another State Admits Connection Between Fracking and Earthquakes
Within the past year, scientists in Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, and now Kansas have all linked increased seismic activity with fracking operations
Jan 20, 2015
Kansas officials have for the first time publicly linked fracking activity--specifically, the injection of saltwater into wastewater wells--with a dramatic uptick in earthquakes across the state.
The number of earthquakes in Kansas went from none in 2012 to more than 120 in 2014, the Kansas Geological Survey has said. Early Monday, a spate of four earthquakes sent tremors through southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, registering between 2.7 and 4.1 on the Richter scale.
"We can say there is a strong correlation between the disposal of saltwater and the earthquakes," Rick Miller, geophysicist and senior scientist for the Kansas Geological Survey, told the Lawrence Journal-World. During fracking operations, a mixture of saltwater and chemicals is used to break apart tight underground rock formations to release oil and gas, after which the fluids are injected deep into disposal wells.
Within the past year, scientists in Ohio, Texas, and Oklahoma have all linked increased seismic activity with fracking operations.
In July 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Geological Survey said that "a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is triggering by wastewater injected into deep geologic formations. This phenomenon is known as injection-induced seismicity, which has been documented for nearly half a century, with new cases identified recently in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and Colorado."
Environmentalists in Kansas expressed hope that their state with follow in the steps of New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, and numerous local governments nationwide that have banned fracking, even temporarily.
"If the government and the Kansas Corporation Commission care about the people of Kansas and the damages, they will order a moratorium," Joe Spease, chairman of the Kansas Sierra Club's fracking committee and owner of a renewable energy company, told the Journal-World. "If they only care about the profits of the oil and gas [industry], it will be business as usual. I hope that is not the case."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Kansas officials have for the first time publicly linked fracking activity--specifically, the injection of saltwater into wastewater wells--with a dramatic uptick in earthquakes across the state.
The number of earthquakes in Kansas went from none in 2012 to more than 120 in 2014, the Kansas Geological Survey has said. Early Monday, a spate of four earthquakes sent tremors through southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, registering between 2.7 and 4.1 on the Richter scale.
"We can say there is a strong correlation between the disposal of saltwater and the earthquakes," Rick Miller, geophysicist and senior scientist for the Kansas Geological Survey, told the Lawrence Journal-World. During fracking operations, a mixture of saltwater and chemicals is used to break apart tight underground rock formations to release oil and gas, after which the fluids are injected deep into disposal wells.
Within the past year, scientists in Ohio, Texas, and Oklahoma have all linked increased seismic activity with fracking operations.
In July 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Geological Survey said that "a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is triggering by wastewater injected into deep geologic formations. This phenomenon is known as injection-induced seismicity, which has been documented for nearly half a century, with new cases identified recently in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and Colorado."
Environmentalists in Kansas expressed hope that their state with follow in the steps of New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, and numerous local governments nationwide that have banned fracking, even temporarily.
"If the government and the Kansas Corporation Commission care about the people of Kansas and the damages, they will order a moratorium," Joe Spease, chairman of the Kansas Sierra Club's fracking committee and owner of a renewable energy company, told the Journal-World. "If they only care about the profits of the oil and gas [industry], it will be business as usual. I hope that is not the case."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Kansas officials have for the first time publicly linked fracking activity--specifically, the injection of saltwater into wastewater wells--with a dramatic uptick in earthquakes across the state.
The number of earthquakes in Kansas went from none in 2012 to more than 120 in 2014, the Kansas Geological Survey has said. Early Monday, a spate of four earthquakes sent tremors through southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, registering between 2.7 and 4.1 on the Richter scale.
"We can say there is a strong correlation between the disposal of saltwater and the earthquakes," Rick Miller, geophysicist and senior scientist for the Kansas Geological Survey, told the Lawrence Journal-World. During fracking operations, a mixture of saltwater and chemicals is used to break apart tight underground rock formations to release oil and gas, after which the fluids are injected deep into disposal wells.
Within the past year, scientists in Ohio, Texas, and Oklahoma have all linked increased seismic activity with fracking operations.
In July 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Geological Survey said that "a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is triggering by wastewater injected into deep geologic formations. This phenomenon is known as injection-induced seismicity, which has been documented for nearly half a century, with new cases identified recently in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and Colorado."
Environmentalists in Kansas expressed hope that their state with follow in the steps of New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, and numerous local governments nationwide that have banned fracking, even temporarily.
"If the government and the Kansas Corporation Commission care about the people of Kansas and the damages, they will order a moratorium," Joe Spease, chairman of the Kansas Sierra Club's fracking committee and owner of a renewable energy company, told the Journal-World. "If they only care about the profits of the oil and gas [industry], it will be business as usual. I hope that is not the case."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.