A group of Oklahoma state energy officials and oil industry experts issued a primer last week on how the state should handle earthquakes caused by oil and gas activity. The report was compiled by a group called StatesFirst, according to StateImpact Oklahoma. It contains the most frank admission yet from any state-sanctioned body that Oklahoma’s recent earthquakes are related to fracking and waste-water disposal. The report provides up-to-date data and suggests several different approaches for containing and easing the quakes.
The Oklahoman reports that a handful of residents have petitioned the federal government, asking that the Environmental Protection Agency take over regulation of the state’s disposal wells. But the EPA isn’t interested in taking that step, says Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague.
You can read the primer here.