Is responsibility for earthquakes being aimed at wastewater companies?

In the article "Earthquakes in Arkansas May Be Man-Made, Experts Warn, " on Fox News.com, earthquake specialist Horton and seismologist Mahdi both suggest that pumping salt water into the ground could contribute to the increase in earthquakes in the Greenbrier, AR area. The article further links the occurrence of salt water disposal to increased earthquake activity in areas as geographically distant as Cleburne, Texas and West Virginia. Later in the article, a few drilling companies are mentioned, but two companies, Clarita Operating and Deep-Six Water Disposal Services, are identified as those which"operate for-profit wastewater disposal wells in the [Greenbrier] area." Because the last new fact mentioned in the article is the identification of these two companies, I wonder if one of the goals of the article was to divert the blame away from the drillers and towards the smaller (read: fewer employees) companies which handle the waste water.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/01/fracking-earthquakes-arkansas-man-experts-warn/#ixzz1TQWVqU2I

Domestic Energy Source vs. Public Safety

Recent increases of earthquake activity in Arkansas raise many questions regarding the benefits of obtaining a domestic energy source verses the safety of Arkansas residents. The practice of "fracking" in order to release natural gas is profitable for the state, but the effects on the state may go further than the recent earthquakes that have been plaguing residents for past months.

"Salt water is a common by-product of the fracking process, and the simplest solution is to inject the toxic wastewater back into the ground," (Liu & Kaplan). Not only has the process been connected by many to the recent escalation in earthquakes; it also may be contaminating the state's water supply.

Where the benefits outweigh the consequences is an important issue that should be addressed before the consequences get out of hand.

The Shaking Truth of Arkansas Quakes

I believe the earthquakes in Arkansas are associated with fracking. According to foxnews.com there have been no earthquakes in Greenbrier, Arkansas since the oil wells were removed. Many of the earthquakes were close together and happened within a short time of one another. Most of these quakes were weak and did not cause any injury or damage. This is why I believe that these quakes have been caused by man made oil wells instead of strong fault lines.

Authors Make Effective Argument, Even Though One-Sided

Even though the authors presented only one side of the issue about whether fracking causes small earthquakes, they did make their point and support it with facts. Authors Liu and Kaplan cited seismologists, geologists, and other experts and specialists in their evidence that fracking could cause small earthquakes in the area/s of drilling. They used Cleburne, Texas and West Virginia as examples of the connection between the two. Earthquake specialist, Steve Horton, was quoted as saying "Ninety percent of these earthquakes that have happened since 2009 have been within 6 kilometers of these salt water disposal wells."
It is obvious from the article that not all scientific specialists agree with the conclusion drawn by Horton. "... there is still little consensus about whether the practice is contributing to the quakes." (authors Liu and Kaplan).

Just Earthquakes? Or more...

Current drilling in Arkansas may lead to more than minor earthquakes. The "fracking" process, which is part of drilling for natural gas, results in salt water as a by-product. According to Fox News, this by-product is referred to as "toxic wastewater." I never thought of salt water as being labeled toxic. That makes me wonder if our water table might be affected as well. Water, a natural resource of our state, is easily contaminated. Any liquid dispersed into the ground will seep into our drinking water eventually. Well-water in the region might be instantly contaminated. That would stink! On a more positive note, four hundred-twelve companies are busily working in the oil and gas industry in our state (FoxNews). Consequently, a multitude of jobs are available to our residents. Arkansas is a state under economic stress and the extra income never hurts our parents! The drilling for natural gas in Arkansas has positive and negative aspects other than earthquakes.

I think people need to be very aware that they are injecting the ground with "toxic wastewater." This does not seem to me as a good idea. The cracks are created to release the natural gas formed in the rocks. What if the toxic water leaks in to the ground water that we drink?

My inference: "Fracking" by the gas company has caused recent earthquakes.

More Research Needed...

I do believe that the use of geothermal energy would be helpful, but it's hard to get behind companies like AltaRock when they've clearly left out information that hurts the image of what they're doing and how dangerous it could be. They made comments about not being positive there were connections between the earthquakes in Basel and drilling, but it had been made pretty clear that it was connected. Even if they weren't sure, I believe more research would be necessary.

As for the earthquakes in Arkansas, again - more research is needed to determine if the drilling is the cause (which it appears is the case). Even if they're not sure, when it comes to earthquakes, and the large number of them occurring (especially in the Greenbrier area), I think more care should be put into knowing exactly what the effects could be.

Earthquakes and Drilling

I have lived in Boone County the majority of my life and never experienced an earthquake until recently. A short time ago drilling to search for gas wells began about eighty miles south of my home county. Within a short time tremors and even a small quake have been felt where I live. Many may believe that more study needs to be done to determine if there is a correlation between drilling and earthquakes, but I believe the facts are clear. The effects of drilling do trigger earthquakes.

Earthquakes in Arkansas

Earthquakes are becoming more frequent and Arkansas. The reason for this is a very controversial issue. Some believe these earthquakes are due to the drilling for natural gas, while others say it is possible, but it is not proven. According to the article that we read called, "Earthquakes in Arkansas May Be Man-Made, Experts Warn," obviously leans towards the drilling being a problem. According to the article, "Ninety percent of these earthquakes that have happened since 2009 have been 6 kilometers of these salt water disposal wells." I believe there is a strong correlation between the two, and it needs to be studied more before some major problems occur.

It's All Shook UP!

It seems that both the steam energy drilling and the natural gas drilling both are causing quite a shake up, but who really is paying attention? From what I can gather, only those citizens who live in close proximity to the drilling and a few scientists even know that drilling is a problem. And in my humble and honest opinion, it is always the people who are financially impacted that seem to care the most. So, who is financially impacted on this drilling issue? The people whose property values are decreasing? The drilling companies? Members of the NFL? Hmmm???
These companies will probably continue drilling without any real concern for those home/property owners, because no one seems to be in charge of regulating the drilling issue. If we really want a shake up, we need to put some outside group in this regulatory position, and then put some teeth to the penalties imposed.

Is it all about the money?

Several different large companies were mentioned, so I wonder how much money these companies as well as others involved stand to lose or gain. Is there a safer or less intrusive way to carry out the fracking process? Is it too costly to change the way things are being done?

Earthquakes in Arkansas

All of this drilling makes me nervous! I do believe there is some correlation with earthquakes and drilling salt water into our Earth.

Earthquakes in AR

It may be possible that some of the recent earthquakes in Arkansas are the result of disposing waste water byproducts from the process of drilling for natural gas. Correlational data indicates that there are more earthquakes in the areas where the injection wells are being used to dispose of the waste water. Arkansas has halted the drilling of new injection wells until further research can be done to verify whether the wells are actually contributing to the earthquakes. However, the companies drilling for natural gas are still allowed to use existing injection wells. Although there is no proof that this is the cause, seismic activity has been increasing near these areas. It would be interesting to know whether the entire state of Arkansas (or even other parts of the United States) have had increases in earthquakes in areas where there is not any drilling. It seems like we should quit using this method of disposing the waste water until the connection between the drilling and the earthquakes is clear.

Drilling for Gas

Can the problems that the gas drilling companies are having ever be solved? Are they related to the earthquakes that these areas are having? Most of the side effects of the drilling is the wastewater injection wells. Why don't they find a different way to dispose of the wastewater so the toxic water is not in the ground. Is it too hard for these companies to actually clean up their own waste?

drilling and earthquakes

Seems to be a relationship. Could the connection ever truly be proven? I don't think so conclusively. Scary thought, though, that our ever-growing need or greed could have completely unintended consequences. We as a people want all the benfits with none of the risks. Doesn't always work that way.

Is it worth it?

After reading, and listening to the New York Times articles about hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, I wonder if the risk for money is worth the possible outcomes? Yes, this fracking procedure is a wonderful economic opportunity, but is the money that could be gained from this procedure worth the after effects of an earthquake? I believe no! Why risk the lives of people and the environment for money?

Arkansas Tremors Provoke Chicken Little Reponses

Did you notice the article fails to explain quake swarms are common phenomenon? Or that North Central and North East Arkansas lie on an active geological fault? Or that the article fails to note a quake is defined as anything measurable?

The authors purpose is to excite reader comment and reaction - not to inform.

Fracking

Inferences...?
1. Why don't California-based operations invest in wind and/or solar power if they are looking for alternative energy supplies?
2. Qualified people should analyze data from these diverse places where fracking or geothermal drilling are being used to determine--as quickly as possible--if the correlations between underground water injections and earthquake swarms are indeed showing causation.
3. The earthquake-tsunami in Japan earlier this year has caused many people to re-examine the wisdom of using nuclear power plants; e.g. Germany will abandon them completely by the year 2020. Where does that waste material go?
4. As with climate change, there is a spectrum of scientists from highly reluctant to energetically emphatic about accepting theories that demonstrate that typical natural phenomena may be exacerbated by manmade activity. There may not be sufficient evidence in our lifetimes to prove it one way or the other--and then it may be too late. What happens if earthquake swarms in Guy, Arkansas get big enough to kill the town?

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