“What’s coming is going to be catastrophic.” Rep. Richard Morrissette on earthquakes.
Representative Richard Morrissette (D-OKC) will no doubt get more interest in the public hearing he plans to hold next week at the State Capitol exploring earthquakes and the action or lack of it, as he contends, by state leaders on wastewater injection wells and their link to the quakes.
Following the estimated 16 earthquakes that occurred between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning in northern Oklahoma near Fairview and Alva, more citizens might step forward on Jan. 15 when Morrissette holds a day-long hearing. The Democratic legislative contends policy makers are not doing enough to prevent any more property damage. He blames Republicans in control from Governor Mary Fallin to the legislature to the Corporation Commission.
“We are dumping an ocean of water untreated back into the earth—this is clearly manmade earthquakes,” Morrissette told News 9’s Lacie Lowry. “What’s going to happen when dormitories in Stillwater filled full of young students fall or other catastrophes happen, everybody is going to look back and say ‘Why didn’t we do something?'”
In going after Governor Mary Fallin, Morrissette contends she has failed to use her bully pulpit in getting the Corporation Commission to take more action.
“Apparently, she wants to abdicate her authority on this issue,” said the legislator who also wants voters to call their legislators to push for a change in manmade earthquakes. “Darn it, do it because what’s coming is going to be catastrophic.”
View report by News 9’s Lacie Lowry.
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