A task force plan (click here) would allow state agencies to take action if they determine human activities are causing earthquakes.
The Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Corporation Commission and Kansas Department of Health and Environment are leading a task force to study and react to “induced seismicity,” or earthquakes caused by human activity. Gov. Sam Brownback established the task force in response to recent earthquakes in Oklahoma and south-central Kansas.
Rex Buchanan, interim director of KGS, said Kansas hasn’t collected much data on seismic in the past because the state isn’t prone to earthquakes. KGS and the U.S. Geological Survey are adding instruments to better measure earthquakes so they can determine if human activity is playing a role, he said.
Under the plan’s current form, KGS would collect data on earthquakes detected by USGS, analyze the data and report to KCC and KDHE, Buchanan said. USGS typically detects earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or greater, but most people can’t feel anything with a magnitude less than 3.0, he said...
We are used to thinking about earthquakes as 'fault' lines erupting in activity. In the case of "Induced Seismicity" there are NEW fault lines created by human activity. It is different. Now, every place there is a well there are earthquakes.
What does that mean? That means the fracking companies can NOT state their well casings prevent water contamination. If the well casings remain intact, which we know they don't, there is still going to be water contamination by "Induced Seismicity." The water contamination is basically guaranteed. Even though residents didn't feel the quake doesn't mean it didn't open up a path for contaminants to poison their water supply.
The argument against this technology is moving to include more than well casings.
The gas wells are indeed very expensive to the land owners and/or the towns and cities, especially when it means insults to human health.
