Legislator Weighs Injection Wells And Public Safety After Earthquake

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is in the process of indefinitely shutting down 37 Arbuckle injection wells surrounding the epicenter of Saturday’s earthquake to prevent structural damage.

One state lawmaker said more action may be needed moving forward.

There are still plenty of active injection wells throughout the state, but legislators are being put in an increasingly difficult position between economic interests and public safety.

For Sen. Ron Sharp (R-District 17), the earthquakes are getting personal. His own chimney started crumbling after the Prague quake in 2011, and he walked outside to find more bricks on the ground after this weekend's events.

“Earthquake insurance is going to be a necessity here in Oklahoma, so you can see that your costs of living are going to be increased as a result of this,” Sharp said.  

He said there will also be further impacts to pensions and education funding, his own area of expertise.

Masons said the damage is already done in many homes, and encourage you to check for any cracks that could indicate more serious problems.

Scientists said earthquakes could be like that small crack, hinting at the damage injection wells are causing across the state, but they still need tens of millions of dollars to complete their research to find a concrete link.

“For us to have money, we have to have the oil and gas business fully operational, and without the oil and gas business fully operational we have no money to fund any kind of research, so this is going to be a problem for us in years to come,” Sharp said.

Sharp said lawmakers may need to consider legislation requiring oil producers to inject water back into the earth as they pump. He also believes banning out-of-state companies that dispose here might help, but they make up less than 1 percent of the total wastewater injection.

He and his colleagues are looking out-of-state for other industries, though, hoping to balance job losses by bringing in companies like Boeing and GE. The catch there is that they are having to provide serious tax incentives to beat out other states, leaving them with less revenue.

Sharp said with the current state of the budget, he hopes researchers at OU and OSU can step up to the plate with grant funding and complete their research before another larger earthquake strikes in a more populated area.