Some Texas Residents Say Testing is Damaging Homes

Some homeowners in southeast Fort Worth, Texas, say they have found damage to their homes that they believe was caused by recent seismic testing in their neighborhoods.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that seismic testing has become routine in the Barnett Shale natural gas field in recent years. Companies use the data to guide drilling.

Complaints include new cracks, and one homeowner said her patio is no longer level.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy hired a company to inspect homes whose owners had made complaints. The company did not find that the seismic testing caused damage.

Company officials also pointed to this year’s extreme drought and heat, which has damaged foundations across North Texas.