Earlier this spring, residents of a rural community in Louisianas Assumption Parish noticed mysterious bubbles rising to the surface in some bayous. Shortly thereafter, a series of small earthquakes shook the area, prompting state officials to investigate. But in Early August, the ground suddenly opened up and gave way — swallowing up acres of swamp forest. In its place there is now a gaping sinkhole filled with water, underground brines, oil, and natural gas. But this was no natural disaster, say geologists. It was the consequence of mining activities conducted by the oil and gas service company, Texas Brine. Located about 45 miles south of Baton rouge, the Bayou Corne Sinkhole has grown to eight acres in size. In the weeks following the collapse, officials determined that an unstable and collapsing salt cavern was responsible — what prompted Texas Brine to blame seismic activity on the sinkhole. But as Mike Ludwig from Truthout reports, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has determined that it was the collapse of the cavern that caused the tremors felt in the neighborhood, and not the other way around — what was likely brought about by extensive mining.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 21:36:12 +0000