Ohio regulators link seismic activity to fracking

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

April 11, 2014 at 12:59 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio — State regulators for the first time have linked earthquake activity in eastern Ohio to hydraulic fracturing, confirming the suspicions of activists pushing unsuccessfully for a drilling ban.

State Oil & Gas Chief Rick Simmers told The Associated Press on Friday that the state has halted drilling indefinitely at the site near Youngstown where five minor tremors occurred in March following investigative findings of a probable link to fracking.

A deep-injection well for fracking wastewater was tied to earthquakes in the region in 2012.

Simmers says Ohio will require sensitive seismic monitoring as a condition of all new drilling permits within three miles of a known fault or existing seismic activity of 2.0 or greater. Drilling will pause for evaluation with any tremor of 1.0 magnitude and will be halted if a link is found.

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/04/ohio_regulators_link_seismic_a.html#incart_river_default

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In other news:

The owner of a Youngstown oil- and gas-drilling company pleaded guilty today to ordering an employee to dump tens of thousands of gallons of fracking waste into a tributary of the Mahoning River.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/03/source_of_garrettsville_fire_d.html

[lark]

1. Not perfect policy, not from Repug Kaisch ever.

But at least it's a common sense step. Best, of course, is stopping fracking all together and investing in alternative energy sources, but of course no Repug will go for that these days. They are too glued to the oil company teat.

[Divernan]

2. Frackers haul wastewater from Pennsylvania to dump in Ohio

I was at Fallingwater in southwestern PA in December, 2012. Chatting with the guy leading our tour, I asked him if there was fracking going on in the area, particularly near the Ohiopyle River, where I used to go white water rafting. He said absolutely, but all the fracking wastewater was being hauled in tanker trucks over the border to be dumped in Ohio.

We have the state's most unpopular governor ever, Republican, Tom Corbett, and he is so far up Big Fracking's butt he can look out its mouth! So what does that tell you about Ohio, that Big Frackers feel it's less hassle to dump wastewater there?

And they've bought off politicians on both sides of the aisle. Here in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh and suburbs) our recently elected Dem. County Executive has pushed like mad for fracking underneath an urban park, as well as at the county airport.

[marions ghost]

3. By the time you're getting earthquakes...

[Boreal]

4. Here's the direct link

to the second story, which I think is way more important:

http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/mar/24/ben-lupo-pleads-guilty-dumping-oilfield-waste-maho/?nw

No jail time and no fine!!!

[Sienna86]

5. Well, guess they won't have their jobs for long.

I hope Ohio does better than North Carolina in the environmental arena.

[BentleyJD]

6. Not

with Kasich at the helm.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. Which is more important? A few homes owned by nobody really important or money money money?

[colsohlibgal]

8. What A Surprise

Right there with water being wet.

[tofuandbeer]

9. Hopefully, this is going to hurt them in California.

They have ads running here that just fall short of comparing fracking to wholesome foods.

[frylock]

10. This just in from the No Shit, Sherlock desk

[blkmusclmachine]

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