Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes

[kpete]

Published on Friday, March 9, 2012 by Common Dreams
Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes
- Common Dreams staff
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has confirmed that a series of earthquakes in the state were caused by injecting leftover fracking fluids, "brine," deep into wells.

ODNR stated today:

Geologists believe induced seismic activity is extremely rare, but it can occur with the confluence of a series of specific circumstances. After investigating all available geological formation and well activity data, ODNR regulators and geologists found a number of co-occurring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area earthquakes were induced. Specifically, evidence gathered by state officials suggests fluid from the Northstar 1 disposal well (a deep injection well primarily used for oil and gas fluid waste disposal) intersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of stress causing movement along that fault.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/03/09-1

[pamela]

1. Here's something people need to think about...

If you live in, or near, an area where there is fracking, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE! Sorry for the caps but I live in Maryland and we learned this lesson the hard way. When the quake hit in August our condo was badly damaged to the tune of about $30,000 and our insurance, and the condo association's insurance, didn't have earthquake coverage. A lot of people just assume they are covered for earthquakes but it's a specific coverage that you have to add and most people on the east coast don't have it.

[dreamnightwind]

2. Nor on the west coast

Most of us on the west coast don't have it either, it's quite expensive. I live about 10 miles from the San Andreas fault, and recently got rocked by the small quakes on the Hayward fault nearly 100 miles from here (surprised that it shook us here), and of course can't afford earthquake insurance.

[Robb]

3. What's "injecting leftover fracking fluids" all about?

I get fracking, I think. But what's this waste product they're talking about? Is it a regular practice to dispose of this stuff in deep wells for some reason?

Edited to add: so it seems, as I read more, it's not fracking itself that can cause quakes, but that the waste water post-fracking has to go somewhere or be treated expensively, so they're drilling holes in the ground and pumping the waste water in those holes?