Thursday, March 21, 2013

EPA's long-awaited report on drilling-related quakes remains incomplete, with no timetable

The Environmental Protection Agency has still not completed its study on earthquakes linked to oil and gas production, and there is no timetable for when the study will it be finished. The report was originally expected to be complete by the end of 2011.

EPA officials told state regulators they were seeking to develop recommendations for states to consider for "managing or minimizing" earthquakes triggered by deep injection, reports Mike Soraghan ofEnvironment & Energy News. They also stressed that the work group was not seeking to make new policies or regulations.

The Safe Drinking Water Act empowers EPA to regulate underground injection, but injection wells for oil and gas waste do not have to be tested to ensure they won't cause earthquakes, writes Soraghan.

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