Oklahoma Reaches $2.6M Earthquake Settlement
A $2.6 million class action settlement has been reached over earthquakes in Oklahoma. The lawsuit alleged that certain companies operated wastewater disposal wells that contributed to seismic activity, including a 5.1 magnitude quake, between 2019 and the present. Residents who suffered property damage may be eligible for a payment.
This settlement is part of a larger story of seismic activity in Oklahoma linked to oil and gas operations. The state experienced a dramatic surge in earthquakes beginning in 2009, with the rate of magnitude 3 and larger quakes exceeding California's between 2014 and 2017. Scientists have connected this increase to the underground injection of wastewater, a byproduct of oil and natural gas extraction. The lawsuit alleges that wastewater disposal wells operated by the defendant companies contributed to seismic events, including a 5.1 magnitude earthquake that struck near Prague, Oklahoma, in early February 2024. That quake was shallow, making the shaking more intense, and was followed by at least eight smaller temblors. This is not the first time legal action has been taken over induced seismicity in the state. Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in Oklahoma in recent years, many linked to this disposal method. Previous lawsuits have resulted in settlements, such as an $850,000 agreement with Eagle Road Oil LLC following a record-setting 5.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016 near Pawnee. In response to significant seismic events, Oklahoma regulators and the Environmental Protection Agency have previously ordered the shutdown and restriction of dozens of disposal wells in the vicinity of the epicenters. Following the February 2024 quake, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry, ordered a temporary halt to operations of disposal wells within 10 miles of the quake.
