EDMOND — Dozens of concerned residents increasingly worried about growing cracks in their homes, property values and the cumulative effects of earthquakes spoke at a forum Thursday evening, with some calling for a moratorium on the use of saltwater disposal wells from oil and gas drilling.
Rep. Lewis Moore, who organized the town hall at the University of Central Oklahoma, got an earful from constituents not happy about the perceived slow response by lawmakers and other elected officials to the state's spike in seismic activity.
“I've only got small cracks, but I'm scared to death,” Edmond resident Kathy Matthews told Moore. “You are late to the party.
There's no lack of conversation. There's a lack of action.”
Other residents wanted to know why Moore voted last year for Senate Bill 809, which limited the ability of local governments to regulate oil and gas operations. The bill also reaffirmed the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as the state's chief energy regulator.
Moore said he stood behind his vote for SB 809. He said the issues surrounding induced
seismicity cross multiple local jurisdictions, and the Corporation Commission was the right place to take action.
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