[MutableLambda]

> A plugged well is injected with high pressure concrete to/past the impermeable rock layers, past the multiple steel/concrete well casings that travels through aquifers.

Now imagine having hundreds of old oil wells around, some of them are rusted out and can totally transfer fluids up from down under to the water table level.

They probably need to inspect every well and make sure it's properly plugged with concrete, not just a cap on top.

[vel0city]

> They probably need to inspect every well and make sure it's properly plugged with concrete, not just a cap on top.

This is the real take-away here. Not some narrative that fracking is definitely bad (it might be, might not be), but that The TXRRC needs to be more on top of continuing to monitor and/or plug wells before these things happen.

[exabrial]

^ 100% the point! Thank you! ffs fracking has nothing to do with it!

Plugged wells are safe for eternity. In fact, nature does this (look up Devils Tower monument) on it's own.

Capped wells are kept around... because they might come in handy for salt water injection. They need to be permanently killed at the end of their lives with high pressure concrete.

It's just dumb this practice is even allowed to take fluids from one formation and put them in another. But hey, as long as "BAN FRACKING" is the headline both the oil burning companies and the regulators will succeed in doing nothing to prevent environmental damage.