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Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman and the two other commissioners heard from dozens of residents from Azle and surrounding communities. 

Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal

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Stop injection wells now. Don’t wait for more studies while earthquakes continue to shake the ground.

Those were the battle cries Tuesday morning in Austin as dozens of North Texas residents from Azle and surrounding communities crowded the Texas Railroad Commission meeting to make their case.

The commissioners listened to the speakers, but they made no indication that they would impose a 90-day moratorium on injection wells. The wells are used by drilling companies to dispose of frack water and other byproducts of the Barnett Shale wells.

The Railroad Commission has inspected all the waste-water injection wells within a 15-mile radius of the earthquake epicenters in Azle and surrounding communities. Only one failed, and it has since been shut in.

Commissioner chairman Barry Smitherman said the commission is limited in what it can do, but it has asked the Texas Legislature for greater authority to rule on matters such as disposal wells.

Residents reiterated the concerns that they raised at the Jan. 2 hearing that drew more than 800 people to Azle High School. They talked about the sheer terror of the earthquakes that leave cracks in the wall, leave sinkholes in the ground and give children nightmares.

Many called for the oil and gas companies to be held accountable for the earthquake damages at their homes.

> The Dallas Business Journal has the full report, including more accounts from residents and steps the commission is taking to investigate the matter. Click here to read more.

Nicholas covers the energy and banking beats for the Dallas Business Journal. Subscribe the Energy Inc. newsletter