State Says Injection Well That Caused Earthquakes Could Open Again
From the Youngstown Vindicator:
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The state says in a new court filing the injection well it closed on state Route 169 just north of Niles could reopen if the Howland-based company that owns it would devise a comprehensive plan.
The filing tells the Ohio Supreme Court that it should refuse to hear the appeal American Water Management Services requested recently because the case is “routine” and does not present any issues of statewide interest.
The filing says the Weathersfield Township well’s operations were “likely responsible for two [2014] earthquakes of increasing severity in an urban area populated by schools, residences, businesses and a fire department.”
It says the ODNR Division of Oil and Gas “believed the continued operation of AWMS’s injection wells could result in higher-magnitude earthquakes, so the division suspended the operation of both wells.”
The closings led to appeals to a state commission, a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge, then the 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus, which affirmed the state’s position.
The Franklin County judge, who supported AWMS’s position, proposed a restart plan that did not include “risk minimization procedures,” the filing notes.Click here to continue reading.
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