Earthquake hazard (click here) associated with deep well injection; a report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
USGS Bulletin: 1951
But, it took the Bush White House to do the unthinkable. With full knowledge as to what awaits the American landowner and water consumer they turned loose the monster with the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
No warning to consumers.
No warning to landowners.
No warning PERIOD.
No legal stipulation requiring every energy company pursuing hydraulic fracturing to hand every landowner and every water consumer a copy of Wesson and Nicholson book entitled, "Earthquake hazard associated with deep well injection; a report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." (click here)
And, of course, no one ever expected the petroleum industry to have a conscience that might actually effect their profit margin. Not even in the face of govenrment subsidies. The American landowner and consumer is nobody in the petroleum industry and those they buy for government office.
The information was available to everyone and it is was not mentioned to those now suffering from the ravages of the profit demands of the petroleum industry. They exhibited no morality toward their contract signators and the industry is liable. The petroleum industry never acted in 'good faith' which is a baseline demand of contract law in the USA.
In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract.
It is impossible to write every word of every possible outcome into a contract, therefore, there is an understanding that while language in a contract is important the very basis of contract law begins with a 'good faith' understanding. When an industry knows the dangers and pitfalls of it's practices and allow it's contracts to neglect vital information about same, it is very, very liable REGARDLESS as any 'general release of liability clause' states. This information is baseline knowledge and not cutting edge knowledge. Those contracting with the petroleum industry had the right to know what the industry knew. In concealing it brings about the industry's liability.
In other words, they lied (LACK OF TRUTH is as good as lying) about the dangers of signing the contract they offered money to participate while they gained profits.
The petroleum industry has been nothing short of a snake oil salesman.
Alberta (click here) has always been a seismically quiet part of North America. There is no evidence that the province has ever experienced a significantly destructive earthquake, and there is no reason to believe that one is imminent. There have been fewer than 15 catalogued events greater than magnitude 3.5 since 1985.* Alberta does experience very small earthquakes. These earthquakes are usually less than 3 local magnitude (ML). Although it is unusual to feel a an earthquake smaller than 2.5 ML, it is important to monitor them.
Since seismic monitoring began in earnest in the mid-1960s, data collected have shown a recent increase in small- to microearthquake activity. From 1985 to 2010, Earthquakes Canada recorded 471 earthquakes in Alberta. The vast majority of these were natural earthquakes that occurred in a southeast trend along the Rocky Mountain Foothills. However, clusters of activity have also been observed in regions associated with gas production.
Scientists believe that it is important to understand Alberta’s seismicity patterns as well as the causes of the increased numbers of small and micro-earthquakes. Some of these earthquakes may have been triggered or induced by oil and gas production.
...We also note a persistent but diffuse cluster of events, termed the Del Bonita cluster, near the Alberta-Montana border.
And, of course, no one ever expected the petroleum industry to have a conscience that might actually effect their profit margin. Not even in the face of govenrment subsidies. The American landowner and consumer is nobody in the petroleum industry and those they buy for government office.
The information was available to everyone and it is was not mentioned to those now suffering from the ravages of the profit demands of the petroleum industry. They exhibited no morality toward their contract signators and the industry is liable. The petroleum industry never acted in 'good faith' which is a baseline demand of contract law in the USA.
In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract.
It is impossible to write every word of every possible outcome into a contract, therefore, there is an understanding that while language in a contract is important the very basis of contract law begins with a 'good faith' understanding. When an industry knows the dangers and pitfalls of it's practices and allow it's contracts to neglect vital information about same, it is very, very liable REGARDLESS as any 'general release of liability clause' states. This information is baseline knowledge and not cutting edge knowledge. Those contracting with the petroleum industry had the right to know what the industry knew. In concealing it brings about the industry's liability.
In other words, they lied (LACK OF TRUTH is as good as lying) about the dangers of signing the contract they offered money to participate while they gained profits.
The petroleum industry has been nothing short of a snake oil salesman.
Alberta (click here) has always been a seismically quiet part of North America. There is no evidence that the province has ever experienced a significantly destructive earthquake, and there is no reason to believe that one is imminent. There have been fewer than 15 catalogued events greater than magnitude 3.5 since 1985.* Alberta does experience very small earthquakes. These earthquakes are usually less than 3 local magnitude (ML). Although it is unusual to feel a an earthquake smaller than 2.5 ML, it is important to monitor them.
Since seismic monitoring began in earnest in the mid-1960s, data collected have shown a recent increase in small- to microearthquake activity. From 1985 to 2010, Earthquakes Canada recorded 471 earthquakes in Alberta. The vast majority of these were natural earthquakes that occurred in a southeast trend along the Rocky Mountain Foothills. However, clusters of activity have also been observed in regions associated with gas production.
Scientists believe that it is important to understand Alberta’s seismicity patterns as well as the causes of the increased numbers of small and micro-earthquakes. Some of these earthquakes may have been triggered or induced by oil and gas production.
Alberta Earthquake Catalogue, Version 1.0: September 2006 through December 2010 (click here)
Authors: Stern, V.H.; Schultz, R.J.; Shen, L.; Gu, Y.J.; Eaton, D.W....We also note a persistent but diffuse cluster of events, termed the Del Bonita cluster, near the Alberta-Montana border.
