Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced the halt of a Youngstown injection well after an investigation indirectly linking wastewater from hydraulic fracturing to the seismic activity beneath the well.
After a series of low level seismic activity in the Youngstown area was reported, ODNR had Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory place seismometers around the injection well to detect for more activity. The investigation found that the Dec. 24 earthquake in Youngstown took place 2 miles beneath and within a mile of the injection well.
James Zehringer, director of Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said in a press release that although the earthquakes in Youngstown are not completely linked to the injection well, they would rather be safe than sorry by halting the well’s operation.
“Our top priority is the health and safety of the public and the protection of Ohio’s natural resources,” said Zehringer. “We are going to make sure this process is done right and won’t hesitate to stop operation of disposal sites if we have concerns.”
Since its placement by the Youngstown injection well, the seismometer detected 10 small earthquakes registering at 2.7 or below, which generally do not cause surface damage, according to the release.
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