Oklahoma Orders 37 Fracking Wells Shut Down In Wake of Record-Tying 5.6 Magnitude Quake
In the wake of a record-tying 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma, state officials have ordered the shutdown of 37 disposal wells used for fracking.
According to the Associated Press, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission will shut down wells in a 725-square mile area near the quake’s epicenter.
According to Matt Skinner, spokesperson for the commission, the wells will be shut down one by one over a period of 10 days because seismologists have warned that a large and sudden shutdown of the wells could cause another earthquake.The move comes just months after a March 2016 report by the U.S. Geological Survey that said hydraulic fracking practices, which is used by oil and gas producers to extract oil from the ground, has increased the risk of earthquakes in several states, including Oklahoma.
Curmudgeon at Work 