On January 28,
2016, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin authorized the transfer of $1.387 million
from the state’s emergency funds in support of the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission and Oklahoma Geological Survey’s research on the underlying causes
of recent seismic activity in Oklahoma.
More precisely,
Governor Mary Fallin allocated $387,000 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
and declared in a press release that those funds “will allow the OCC to proceed with
much-needed computer updates and hire two contract geologists and other staff
to work on seismic issues. As for the Oklahoma Geological Survey, it will
receive $1 million to “install additional seismic monitoring stations in
western Oklahoma, update its monitoring network and upgrade its mapping
systems.”
In 2015, Oklahoma
experienced several earthquakes, and underground wastewater disposal and
hydraulic fracturing activities have been suspected of causing such seismic
activity. According to the Office of the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and
Environment, “Oklahoma experienced 907 magnitude 3+ earthquakes in 2015 and 585
magnitude 3+ earthquakes in 2014. 109 magnitude 3+ earthquakes were recorded in
2013.”
More information
on earthquakes in Oklahoma and the related regulatory activities is available here.
Written by Chloe Marie - Research Fellow
02/02/2016
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