Regulators Confirm Fracking Caused Earthquakes in Ohio and Arkansas

by Robert Wilkinson

While researching historical events when I was writing “A New Look At Mercury Retrograde,” I found Mercury retrograde periods historically are good times for busting corporate criminal behavior, especially involving oil companies. Looks like it happened again! Ohio regulators have confirmed that 12 earthquakes last year were directly caused by “fracking.”

We find this alarming news courtesy of Mike Ludwig and the ever-fantastic Truthout news site. Since the story is not covered by Creative Commons policy, I cannot reprint it here, so you’ll have to go to the website via the link to get the full story on this expose of the destructive effects of this method of getting at oil that’s all the rage among the greedheads who are intent on polluting as much of North America as they can.

For those who don’t want to take the time to leave this site, I’ll offer a few key pieces of information here. "Fracking," or “hydraulic fracturing,” pumps millions of gallons of water and chemicals underground to break up rock and release oil and gas. Wastewater returns to the surface contaminated with chemicals and other materials, and is usually pumped back underground creating a toxic sludge that contaminates underground water supplies.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has evidence linking fluid from the injection well to a fault line that “caused movement that created earthquakes.” The earthquakes (largest 4.0) happened in a location where they’re historically rare, and close to where fracking fluids are stored underground. Not surprisingly, the Ohio Governor is a Republican who has received major campaign donations from fracking companies and last year opened state parks for oil and gas exploration.

Regulators have imposed stringent new rules for fracking, but given that it’s been linked to earthquakes in other areas of the US, like Arkansas, it’s still a disaster in the making. The Ohio Environmental Council states that though earthquakes directly caused by fracking are rare, regulators should not have allowed drillers “to cause earthquakes in the first place.”

We also find that several states are trying to figure out what to do with “millions of gallons” of toxic wastewater created by fracking, and that Pennsylvania regulators have demanded fracking companies stop dumping toxic sludge in wastewater treatment facilities. To note the obvious, the mainstream media is not reporting any of this.

Fracking is a disaster, folks! It pumps toxic chemicals underground, breaks up “basement rock,” and creates a mess, all in the name of finding a little bit more oil and gas. We should not be fracking any more than we should be conducting underground nuclear tests. While the scale of destruction is different, in the end the Earth is still shattered, we’re creating or exacerbating fault lines that will be the source of future problems, and contaminating underground water supplies.

Oil is obsolete! The Sun could supply us with infinite clean energy if our governments had to will to invest in solar and battery technology with the same gusto they subsidize oil and gas exploration. But then free energy doesn’t generate campaign contributions while keeping the power in the hands of the few.

I don’t know what it will take to stop the madness, but you can bet that if they continue, there will be more earthquakes. Having been through more than a few in California, I assure you that the people won’t stand for man-made earthquakes that shouldn’t be happening to begin with.

And since fracking has been linked to earthquakes in Arkansas, it could destabilize the New Madrid fault line. That was the epicenter of 3 of the largest earthquakes in North American history (Dec 1811 - Feb 1812), one of which rang the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia! That's 1200 miles (2000 km) away from the epicenter! Such a quake today would cause damage on a catastrophic scale should it happen again.

Even though the oil and gas industry asserts they are not polluting the underground water supplies, I would take those assertions with the proverbial grain of salt. Given recent reports that in many places the water supply is contaminated with all kinds of toxic chemicals, please take measures to ensure your drinking and cooking water is as clean and free from contaminants as possible.

I just wonder when governments decided they didn’t have to ensure a clean water supply. That’s probably the worst part of this whole thing, since no one with a brain and heart could possibly want to foul the public water supply to begin with, nor leave it contaminated so that others could get sick. Something is seriously wrong when our “public servants” don’t care about those who dump poisons into the public water supply. Or create earthquakes.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Micheline]

This makes me sad.

[Robert]

Hi Micheline - Well, I never want to be the bringer of bad news, but fracking is a disastrous technology. And I note that NE Japan just had another earthquake. I suspect there will be more all over the world in the future. We can only affirm that the world will collectively wake up and change energy policies internationally. Maybe if enough pollution, earthquakes, and nuke alarms happen, the powers that be will choose a different, less destructive course. Glad to see Japan has eschewed nuclear power as a government policy. Congrats on that!

[caliban]

And in my neighborhood, the mining industry is at it with the native tribes and natural resource people. Seems its the perfect sand to mine to be used in the fracking process. The mining industry does not want to deal with what will be released into streams and drinking water in the process.

[Nicolas]

Very interesting post on a subject not know by many. No wonder main stream media does not deal with this. About public servants not caring for the quality of the water supply, what can I say? Maybe they are to worried about "National Security" issues abroad that are much more profitable. So, sod the average citizen driking water, that has nothing to do with National Security. Does it?

[Enlightendredneck]

Thank you so much for the timely article! We are currently facing this issue right now with Colorado state, county and city governments arguing over who has the right to set limits on fracking. I pray they refuse to allow any of it.

[Amrita]

this s an education; i had no idea. Thanks Robert

[rogue12]

good work on the research.

I, jokingly, only knew fracking as to be a substitute for the f-word. I stand corrected.

[Christine B]

I have heard of the disastrous consequences of fracking in the USA after watching a video last year. Over here in the UK, fracking was being discussed on the TV news tonight, as two recent earthquakes occurred as a result of it in Blackpool, an area unlikely to have such earthquakes! Apparently, they are planning 3,000 wells in the UK as shale gas is being hailed as the best thing that could happen!
I just feel anger and despair... when will humans stop hurting and violating the Earth?

[Robert]

Hi all - Here's a great article with more on the hazardous chemicals in Pennsylvania fracking:

About That Dimock Fracking Study: Result Summaries Show Methane and Hazardous Chemicals

[Robert]

Here's another:

Fracking's Health and Environmental Impacts Greater Than Claimed