A massive sinkhole that opened up near Daisetta, Texas may have been the result of too much saltwater being pumped into the ground by a company called Deloach Vacuum Services. Deloach was given a permit by the Texas Railroad Commission to dispose saltwater waste. Saltwater is a byproduct of oil production, and is stored underground to avoid contaminating the environment.
The sinkhole measuring 900 feet across and 260 feet deep has reportedly slowed or even stopped. It swallowed trees, telephone poles, oil barrels, and a number of vehicles between Tuesday and Thursday. It has also closed the main street of Daisetta. While geologists believe the sinkhole may be related to pumping saltwater into the ground, Daisetta sits on a salt dome where oil and natural gas have accumulated for millions of years. The town was “poised for potential sinkhole problems.”
Deloach has received two violations in the past: One for exceeding the amount of wastewater it was allowed to inject into the ground, and one for failing to test for leaks on the disposal well before the end of April. The first violation resulted from Deloach injecting between 128,000 and 192,000 barrels of waste water per month when they were only supposed to inject 90,000 barrels per month.
Small sinkholes began opening up around Daisetta in the 1980s, but this is the biggest the town has seen. The next time might be even bigger, swallowing houses and more. And, though the cause of the sinkhole has not been determined, fingers are pointing at Deloach for helping to bring on the damage. Does this make them responsible, and if so, are they going to be held responsible, or is the state of Texas going to be the sole party doling out financial assistance, as seems the case right now?
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