There was a M 2.9 quake just north of Irving early this morning. There is no fracking near the epicenter but plenty just a little to the west.
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A landowner in Robertson County, which is also known as Booger County, woke up Sunday morning to find the water from his well cloudy. This followed an event on Saturday where one of the many nearby sour gas wells was venting very loudly.
One interesting thing is that the sediment in the water does not settle to the bottom of the jar.
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In the wee hours of Sunday morning, there was a M 2.4 earthquake in Arlington. There was also a water main break and sinkhole. You can see a video of the water main break on Facebook.
Looking on the Texas Railroad Commission GIS map, I did not find any injection disposal wells in the immediate area. Please remember that injection is injection and disposal well injection, enhanced recovery injection and fracking injection all can and have caused earthquakes. Keeping that in mind, look at the maps below that show the approximate epicenter, according to the USGS, marked in gray. Notice the intense areas of fracking just just to the south and west of the epicenter.
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Range Resources’ case against Lipsky is the “poster child for what SLAPP is.” And what did Lipsky do to deserve the wrath of Range? He called the EPA. But, he only called the EPA after the Texas Railroad Commission failed to take action for months (see timeline).
After the Texas Railroad Commission declared that Range Resources did not contaminate Steve Lipsky’s well, Range filed a ridiculous $3 million countersuit against the Lipskys and the scientist they hired to test their water.
Highest Court to Weigh in on a Dispute Over Water
By JIM MALEWITZSEPT. 4, 2014 for NY Times.The $3 million suit accuses the three of conspiring to “defame and disparage” Range Resources and force federal regulators to intervene.
Then Range tried to drag me into the suit. Even after receiving my discovery that showed I had no involvement with the Lipskys prior to the EPA stepping in, they still made me go to a court hearing and sit through a really stupid, 6-hour deposition (See: Fun with depositions Part One and Part Two). They harassed me and tried to bully me hoping to shut me up. But, like their cement casings, they failed.
Now Range wants to shut up all Texans. Obviously, they have a great deal of political power and the Texas Supreme Court has a long history of ruling in favor of business. This should be interesting so I hope to go watch the arguments. Maybe I’ll get to see David again.
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I blogged earlier about the Earth, Wind and Fire Energy Summit coming to Dallas and you can read the entire brochure at that link.
One of the featured speakers is Dr. Nicholas van der Elst who will talk about frackquakes.
A featured Sunday speaker at the Earth, Wind, & Fire Energy Summit in Dallas Oct.4-5
Dr. Nicholas van der Elst
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, New YorkNicholas van der Elst is an earthquake seismologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in New York, studying the mechanics of earthquakes and faulting. His research holds a special focus on earthquake interactions and triggering, like in the foreshock and aftershock sequences that may lead up to or follow a larger quake. This incudes a focus in triggered earthquakes caused by deep fluid injection and disposal wells – a hot topic of discussion today in our region.
Van der Elst was featured in Science magazine in 2013 with other colleagues whom he collaborated with on a study focusing on the relationship of deep wastewater injection and midwestern seismic activity.
Fracking and Groundwater Contamination will be addressed by Dr. Zachariah Hildenbrand, UT Arlington whose water testing results found “alarming” levels of arsenic and other heavy metals in proximity to fracked wells.
Petroleum engineer, Kathy Martin, will give information about fracking.
There is still time to get in on the Early Registration Rates and One Day Attendance Rates Now Available
Earth, Wind, Fire Energy Summit One Day Rate
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