More reaction to the U.S. Geological Survey earthquake report that puts Oklahoma at the highest risk in the U.S. for having a damaging earthquake in 2016. The Sierra Club suggests it could help the organization’s federal lawsuit filed against three Oklahoma energy companies, blaming them for hydraulic fracturing and causing the quakes in the state.
“Today’s report once again highlights the dangers the fracking cycle poses to our community,” said Dan Chu, Director of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild america campaign. “The world is already experiencing deadly storms, droughts, and erratic climate and weather extremes due to climate change and the rapid increase in earthquakes caused by wastewater injections from the oil and gas industry only raises the threat to communities across the country.”
The Sierra Club contends the wastewater disposal wells and the fracking process caused the rapid increase in earthquakes registering at or above a 3.0 magnitude per year including 109 in 2013, 585 in 2014 and more than 900 last year.
