OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Seismologists and oil and gas industry regulators are scheduled to testify about a dramatic rise in the number of earthquakes in Oklahoma.
The Senate Energy Committee has scheduled a hearing on Friday to study the increase in seismic activity.
Among those scheduled to testify are Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague and the Dr. Jeremy Boak with the Oklahoma Geological Survey. Officials with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission also are expected to speak.
Growing scientific evidence suggests the sharp rise in earthquakes in Oklahoma is linked to the injection of wastewater from oil and gas drilling deep into the earth.
In response, the Corporation Commission has developed a plan covering hundreds of disposal wells to examine if they are injecting too deep into the ground.