Layoffs at Interior Department Threaten Oklahoma Earthquake Monitoring
Oklahoma’s ability to track and respond to earthquake activity could take a major hit as the U.S. Interior Department moves ahead with thousands of job cuts.
Oklahoma’s Dependence on USGS Data
For years, Oklahoma agencies—especially the Corporation Commission—have relied on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for precise earthquake data. That information helps determine when oilfield wastewater injection wells may have triggered seismic activity. Without it, state regulators could lose vital insight into the growing link between energy production and seismic risks.
Interior’s Reduction in Force Plan
The Center for Western Priorities reported that the Trump administration, after being forced by a federal judge to disclose part of its layoff strategy, plans to “imminently” terminate more than 2,000 employees at the Interior Department.
The move, called a reduction in force or RIF, remains partially blocked by a temporary restraining order from unions representing federal workers. Still, Interior officials confirmed the cuts are ready to move forward once legal hurdles clear.
USGS Science Centers Among Hardest Hit
The Geological Survey sits directly under Interior’s control, placing many Oklahoma-reliant programs at risk. The RIF would cut 2,050 federal positions, including staff at several USGS regional science centers.
Reports indicate that more than half the workforce could be terminated at facilities in Fort Collins, Colorado; Columbia, Missouri; and the Great Lakes Science Center in Michigan.
Major layoffs are also planned at National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices in Denver and across Western states.
Ripple Effects for Oklahoma Energy Oversight
Oklahoma’s Osage County could feel additional strain. The BLM helps manage mineral rights for the Osage Nation, overseeing leases and drilling operations. If staff cuts move forward, response times for permitting, inspections, and environmental monitoring could slow dramatically.
The result could affect both the oil industry and state regulators who depend on accurate, timely data to ensure responsible energy development.
Critics Demand Transparency
“Even more alarming is that [Interior Secretary] Doug Burgum still won’t tell the American people how much more he plans to cut,” said Jennifer Rokala, executive director at the Center for Western Priorities. “Today’s filing is only a portion of the pain he’s trying to inflict on our parks and public lands. We don’t know how many non-union offices and positions are also on the chopping block.”
As Oklahoma’s seismic monitoring programs face uncertainty, state officials warn the data gaps could undermine years of progress in understanding man-made earthquakes tied to the oil and gas industry.
SOURCE: E&E News–Rewritten by Oklahoma Energy Today for clarity
