I read today's article in the Topeka Capital Journal on how Oklahoma has changed their rules on fracking and have back on wastewater injections. See: cjonline.com/… . The good news is that there are fewer earthquakes since the new regulations have went into effect. The bad news, the earthquakes that happened, are larger in mangatitude.
Living in Kansas, this could affect me greatly. A few months ago, one of the earthquakes was felt here. How many more are coming? No one can say. Will the next one be worse than that one?
If there is a large earthquake close to Cushing, OK, it could affect every American. Why? Cushing is home to the largest crude oil tank farm. It stretches for miles. This would be an economic, as well as an environmental disaster. They expanded the tank farm, a few years ago, when prices of crude dropped due to fracking.
How much oil is stored here? A lot, see: www.energyindustryphotos.com/… .
Back on November 6, there was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that hit near Cushing. Fortunately, little damage was done to the oil tank farm. See: www.zerohedge.com/… .
It's not only earthquakes we have to worry about. Does anyone remember the two state wildfire that happened this past spring, which started in Oklahoma and spread to Kansas? Most of both states are grassland or fields of wheat and some other grain crops. Fires spread quickly through dry fields. During springtime, ranchers burn off the grasslands, to prevent weed seeds from germinating. There have been times where drivers on the interstates, that run through Kansas, are blinded by the smoke.
We need to invest more and more into alternative fuels. I'd love to see a smog free sky everyday. Compared to NW Iowa, it's a little hazy here.