Douglas Johnson From: Douglas Johnson Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 4:49 PM To: Cc: Gil Bujano; Garnet Cantwell; Stacie Fowler; Amy Maxwell Subject: Inquiry regarding induced seismicity Attachments: Ohio DNR Mr. Mooney, Your inquiry has been forwarded to me for response. The RRC is aware of the issues discussed in the newspaper article you mentioned. Attached is a copy of the report that the article cited without the various figures and appendixes. RRC staff have been actively cooperating with the National Academy of Sciences and the US EPA, who are also preparing reports on the phenomena of induced seismicity due to fluid injection. These reports are expected to come out later this year. Induced seismicity, or "man made" earthquakes, can occur due to a number of different types of human activity, including subsurface fluid injection. Seismic waves are traversing the earth's crust constantly. The vast majority of this seismic activity is the result of natural forces acting on the earth and cannot be detected by human senses. It is extremely rare for human activity to affect a seismic event that can be heard or felt. Like natural seismic events, regardless of their size or strength, induced seismicity is unpredictable by current science. Of the very few occurrences that a seismic event was known or believed to have been influenced by fluid injection, none are known to have caused any harm to people or the environment. The geophysical record of naturally occurring seismic events in Texas that were strong enough for people to detect is sparse and those which may have been induced by human activity, including fluid injection, are rarer still. The RRC is committed to continued cooperation with the organizations actively pursuing methods to better understand, prepare and respond to the phenomena. Respectfully, Doug 0. Johnson, PE Manager for Injection -- Storage, Permits and Support Technical Permitting Section Oil and Gas Division Douglas Johnson From: Douglas Johnson Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 3:12 PM To: Stacie Fowler Cc: Casey Haney; Amy Maxwell; Polly McDonald Subject: Re: Fwd: Fracking in Ohio I was already aware of this inquiry and am in the process of preparing a response. Would any of you prefer to see the response before I send it or prefer that as the request came to you, that the response come from you? Stacie Fowler 3/9/2012 3:08 PM Doug, I suspect the offices are going to want a response for the email below. I don't know why it was also addressed to me along with the two Commissioners. Could you put some info together on the studies that are going on. I talked to Leslie and she suggested I get with you -- she tells me you are the expert! Thanks Stacie "Mooney, Ryan' 3/9/2012 2:08 PM Good afternoon Mr. Smitherman and Mr. Porter, I spent the last 45 minutes trying to find out who in the state regulates Natural Gas drilling and fracking generally and I was told it is The Railroad Commission. The reason why I am emailing you is because I live in Denton, Texas right in the middle of the Barnett and in light of a recent report from the Department of Natural Resources, State of Ohio I am concerned about fracking. From the USA Today article below dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas- drilling Is the State of Texas, The Railroad Commission or any other Environmental Agency conducting any sort of study to determine whether or not the recent earthquakes in North Texas are a result of Hydraulic Fracturing as well? This is very important to those of us that live on the Barnett. 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