Earthquake shakes Oklahoma, raising injection fears

Published February 16, 2016 5:40pm ET



A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook northwestern Oklahoma Saturday afternoon, an event the U.S. Geological Survey said could relate to wastewater injection in the area.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake could have been caused by wastewater injection, which can involve taking the water used in fracking and injecting it into underground wells to not contaminate drinking water. If the quake is confirmed to be related to fracking, it would be one of the largest earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.