States Collaborating on Rules to Address Earthquake Risks of Fracking

[mia]

Several U.S. states are banding together to combat the mounting risks of earthquakes tied to the disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

Regulators from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio met for the first time this month in Oklahoma City to exchange information on the man-made earthquakes and help states toughen their standards.

“It was a very productive meeting, number one, because it gave the states the opportunity to get together and talk collectively about the public interest and the science,” Gerry Baker, who attended as associate executive director of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, a group that represents energy-producing states, said in an interview. “It was a good start in coordinating efforts.”

U.S. oil and gas production surged to a two-decade high last year as technological advances such as fracturing, or fracking, let drillers coax liquids from rock formations. The process, in which a mix of water and chemicals is shot into shale to free trapped gas and oil, also generates large volumes of wastewater. As fracking expanded to more fields, reports tied quakes to underground disposal wells from Texas to Ohio....

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/03/31/324810.htm

Once the insurance industry gets involved it may be good news for the environment.

[KoKo]

1. Maybe States can Confront what this does to Tourism Business...since its not about

the Effects on the People who Live there.

Come to "Fracking States" and see our "Historic Wonders" ...but, be sure you bring Bottled Water from Soda Industry and Nestle...so that you don't GET SICK....but ENJOY!

[mia]

2. And the people who live there have to pay for the damages done by these quakes.

Homeowner's insurance policies don't cover the damages that come from fracking.

[KoKo]

3. Not even the Homeowners that didn't sign up for the fracking on their land?

That's disgusting...! It 's not Their Fault!

[mia]

4. They can buy extra earthquake insurance

Earthquake concerns

.....Aside from wringing their hands about environmental damage from fracking, homeowners should worry about an increased risk for earthquakes in regions where fracking is going on, according to Foley. That's why some experts advise people in fracking areas to look into earthquake insurance, which must be purchased separately from standard home insurance.

Another problem may arise if fracking damage isn't discovered until long after the extraction takes place and the driller is no longer around, Ence says. Laws in some states do offer some protection to property owners in these situations, "especially if they are forced to participate," he says.

Kevin Sunday, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, says whoever contaminates soil or water in the Keystone State is required to clean it up. That includes fracking drillers. However, drillers could fight this if they can produce pre-drilling water samples showing that the ground already was contaminated.
Because much of the fracking activity takes place on leased land, potential problems -- such as contamination -- should be addressed in lease documents, according to Sunday.

http://www.insureme.com/home-insurance/fracking

[KoKo]

5. Ah...so insurance companies profit...but, you might not get the money if it gets

into a class action or other lawsuit with the Frackers and Insurance Company gets caught in middle trying to figure if they "really" should pay you when there are outstanding lawsuits questioning if your request to the insurance company is valid or not.

Boondoogle.

[KoKo]

6. Kick ...for Visibility.