State regulators in Ohio have suspended operations at two deep injection wells for fracking wastewater in northeast Ohio after discovering possible evidence the operation caused a 2.1-magnitude earthquake on Sunday.
A spokesperson said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a chief's order to American Water Management Services Friday for its Weathersfield site, near Warren. A message seeking comment was left after regular business hours for the company. Spokeswoman Bethany McCorkle called the quake "relatively minor." She said the suspension is effective until a full investigation occurs. The state had proactively placed seismic-monitoring devices in the area under protocols adopted after a series of earthquakes in nearby Youngstown that were later linked to deep injection. The company had recently received permission to increase pressures at its Weathersfield site.
