Summary: On September 3, 2016 at around 7:00 AM, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook Oklahoma and six neighboring states. The earthquake was tied in magnitude with Oklahoma's worst earthquake yet, but because of how shallow it was, it caused damage more than 30 miles away and was felt in six other states. The earthquake is believed to be caused by disposal wells, which are wells frackers use to dispose of toxic water by injecting it into the earth. It is now believed that all Oklahoma earthquakes, rather than being caused by fracking, as was previously thought, are caused by these wells. Because of this, Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin has ordered that all disposal wells within five miles of the epicenter, the town of Pawnee, be shut down within seven days and all other wells within ten days. Studies have now shown that Oklahomans are just much at risk from their "man-made earthquakes" as Californians are from their natural earthquakes. While for now the wells are shut down, there is no guarantee that this will last forever. The article was written on September 4, 2016 on CNN.com by Steve Visser, Azadeh Ansari, and Carma Hassan.
Analysis: Personally, I think its a very good thing that the disposal wells are being shut down. In fact, I think it probably should have happened a while ago. Fracking companies are aware of the potential risks that come with what they do, and I believe they should of taken them more seriously. I'm sure with today's available technology and some more thought, a safer way of extracting natural resources could have been found. That said, I'm glad that they're finally getting cracked down on. This has been a frequent debate in Texas too, with the increased number of earthquakes we've had in the past few years. As of now, the State of Texas hasn't done anything to stop them. This event could be connected to all flights being cancelled after 9/11 because the flights were shut down after a major incident, similar to the wells being shut down after this major earthquake. A difference, though, is that flights eventually resumed, while it is still unknown if disposal wells with ever return.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/03/us/oklahoma-earthquake/index.html
This is very interesting. I hope this solution with fix the earthquake problem because this could be very bad for our country if it continues.
ReplyDeleteIts absolutely insane how much we affect our environment without even realizing it! Very interesting connection to 9/11! - Alix Burns
ReplyDelete