Lawsuits Accuse Fracking Firms of Triggering Oklahoma Earthquake Surge

"The recent series of strong quakes have spiked public concern and accusations that industry is negligent in disposing of wastewater deep underground."

"Two lawsuits in Oklahoma accuse more than a dozen oil and gas companies of triggering recent earthquakes by disposing of their drilling waste in deep wells.

The lawsuits filed last week come on the heels of heightened earthquake activity in Oklahoma, where more than 130 this month have registered magnitude 2.5 or higher on the Richter Scale. These events have caused property damage, knocked out the local power supply, and shaken people's faith in the state government's ability to control the situation.

"It's pretty intense right now," said Jeremy Boak, a geologist at the Oklahoma Geological Survey. He explained that the state has already experienced seven earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.0 in the past three weeks—about one-quarter the total of such quakes in 2015."

Zahra Hirji reports for InsideClimate News January 20, 2016.