Ohio Well Operator: Quake Link Premature

The operator of an Ohio gas-drilling wastewater well that was linked to a dozen small earthquakes says the state has based its findings on incomplete science. D&L Energy noted in a statement Friday that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources came to its conclusions without testing the well. It says the well complied with all state regulations at the time it was idled by the company in January. D&L said there is "no reason to rush and accept bad or incomplete science," since the well is closed. Similar wells have been known to cause earthquakes elsewhere. The environmental department cites "coincidental circumstances" suggesting the quakes in the Youngstown area were induced. It says it will require well operators in the future to submit more comprehensive geological data and require electronic monitoring of wastewater shipments entering the state.