A few years ago I was frustrated with increases in my homeowner's insurance policy rate, so I went shopping online. After hours of mind-numbing typing, copying and pasting to compare various companies, I settled on a regional company with a good rating, good service and decent annual premium.
I made the follow-up call with an agent, and I was surprised though when I was asked whether I wanted earthquake coverage included in the policy. My first thought: is this a scam? My face surely reflected how I felt in that moment so luckily it was a phone call! The words I said out loud: Why would I need earthquake insurance in NE Ohio?
That question set off a discussion about fracking in our area and the possibly related earthquakes. I had heard about fracking, but in this "pre-sustainable" life period, so I had not thought much about it. The agent mentioned recent earthquakes, although low on the Richter scale, that were occurring nearby. That struck a chord so after the conversation with the agent, I spent a few more hours online learning about fracking.
In case others are unaware, hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a fossil fuel extraction process that involves the injection of high-pressure liquid and materials into the ground to stimulate the flow of underground fossil fuels. In my region, fracking accesses natural gas in the Utica shale. ***It is important to note that lower income people are more likely to have fracking in their communities and are thus more vulnerable to the environmental impacts of fracking.***
I reflected on that earthquake discussion today as I read about the recent, devastating earthquake in Morocco where some reports show 3000 people have been killed, and as many displaced from their homes (Red Cross & Red Crescent for Morocco https://www.ifrc.org/article/morocco-earthquake-ifrc-and-moroccan-red-crescent-response-date ). I wondered whether an earthquake—perhaps fracking related---of similar magnitude could in my area.
Maybe. Possibly.
As I set about on this fact-finding mission, I learned that there were three earthquakes in Northeast Ohio within the past three weeks (the last week of August 2023) (https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/northeast-ohio-earthquake-madison-traffic-cameras/). The epicenter was 5 miles beneath the Earth's surface, near Madison, Ohio.
As reference, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, more than 80,000 oil and gas wells in Ohio were stimulated with hydraulic fracturing from 1952 to 2014. Shale gas wells have a vertical depth of 5000-10,000 feet—nearly 2 miles underground. (https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/oil-gas/factsheet/hydraulic-fracturing_0815.pdf) According to USGS, “Fracking intentionally causes small earthquakes (magnitudes smaller than 1) to enhance permeability, but it has also been linked to larger earthquakes.” (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/does-production-oil-and-gas-shales-cause-earthquakes-if-so-how-are-earthquakes-related-these)
