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.
A spokeswoman said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a chief’s order to American Water Management Services on Sept. 5 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.