Wastewater Linked To Earthquakes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio energy regulators say injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth almost certainly a series of small earthquakes as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.

Among the regulations to be imposed: Well operators must submit more comprehensive geological data when requesting a drill site. Also, the chemical makeup of all drilling wastewater must be tracked electronically.

The state Department of Natural Resources on Friday announced the tough new brine injection regulations because of the report’s findings on the well in Youngstown.

A dozen earthquakes shook northeast Ohio from March 2011 through New Year’s Eve. The largest was magnitude 4.0.