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Monday, February 8th, 2016

New Study Ties Fracking Water Disposal To California Earthquakes

Author:     Samantha Page
Source:     Climate Progress
Publication Date:     Feb 5, 2016 2:33 pm
 Link: New Study Ties Fracking Water Disposal To California Earthquakes
Stephan:   California becomes the third state where the connection between fracking and earthquakes has been established. And yet the practice continues. A spotlighted example of the power of corporations over the peasants... excuse me ordinary citizens, who actually vote to allow this to happen. We'll see what happens in 2016. Ask yourself: How will historians describe this 50 years from now?
For the first time, researchers have drawn a connection between wastewater injections and earthquakes in California. Credit: AP Photo/Richard Vogel

For the first time, researchers have drawn a connection between wastewater injections and earthquakes in California.
Credit: AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Injecting old, used water from oil and gas drilling in California has been tied to earthquakes for the first time, according to a new study released Thursday. Wastewater injections have already been tied to earthquakes in Colorado and Oklahoma.

The study comes as fracking in California is growing in scope — and in attention. During fracking, chemical-laced, saline water is injected at high pressure thousands of meters underground, loosening deposits of oil and gas. The process, as well as other forms of so-called enhanced oil recovery, creates huge amounts of wastewater, which is often disposed of by being injected into storage wells. (It is also occasionally reused in agriculture or dumped in the ocean.)

California’s wastewater injections have already raised concerns and prompted lawsuits, after environmentalists discovered oil and gas companies have received permits […]

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