Oklahoma began last Labor Day weekend by tying the record set in 2011 for its strongest earthquake: 5.6 magnitude, centered fifty miles west of Tulsa. The state has recorded thousands of earthquakes during the past few years. In 2009 Oklahoma suffered nine quakes over 3.0, the strength than can be felt. In 2015, there were 907. So far this year, 400. The state’s official position is that the upsurge has nothing to do with the hydraulic fracturing – “fracking” – that has increased exponentially over that period.
Fracking injects water and sand – and chemicals – into the ground under high pressure to create cracks in rock formations, allowing natural gas and oil to escape. Wastewater from oil and gas operations, fracking and non-fracking, is also injected into the ground under pressure, causing stresses along fault lines to slip resulting in earthquakes. Or so say the seismologists.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has asked for a shutdown of 
wastewater wells in the area hit by the latest quake. They asked because they have no authority to order it. The state of Oklahoma has a web site that tells us all the reasons why there is no connection between fracking and earthquakes; it’s disposal of wastewater from oil and gas operations. Maybe some. Um, well, not really. Whatever the reason, they’re sure it doesn’t have anything to do with oil and gas because, well because they just know it; pay no attention to the scientists and engineers.
Meanwhile, eight million people in parts of Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma are now living with the same earthquake susceptibility as California.
Oklahoma is taking the same approach to induced earthquakes as Florida, North Carolina are to climate change: simply legislate that it doesn’t exist.
there are plenty of holes in the sand in which they can bury their heads.