OK Scientist Pressured to Change His Fracking Findings

[Sandra Lindberg]

"Holland, Oklahoma’s former lead seismologist, says he felt pressured by a University of Oklahoma official to not link the state’s surge in earthquakes to oil and gas production."

Former state seismologist testifies officials coerced him to alter research on induced quakes.

I originally saw this article on PopularResistance.org, but have posted the link to the original source of the article, the Norman Transcript, an independent newspaper whose history goes back to the very first white settlements in Oklahoma. I think I'd like to keep an eye on what the Norman Transcript is writing about, and thought some of you might want to do so, too.

 

[MichaelG]

One thing that's especially disturbing about this story is that it was the University of Oklahoma (the president in fact) that was responsible for the pressure, not the state government. Holland eventually resigned from the university, as well as his position with the state geological survey.

 

[Sandra Lindberg]

One thing that's especially disturbing about this story is that it was the University of Oklahoma (the president in fact) that was responsible for the pressure, not the state government. Holland eventually resigned from the university, as well as his position with the state geological survey.

Many of the responses to this article seem to be from his colleagues at the university... They're not happy about what has happened to him.

 

[Sandra Lindberg]

What I like is this scientist knew what his revelation would cost him, and he took action anyway.

 

[Sandra Lindberg]

I suspect he also understood what not revealing how he'd been forced to change his report would cost him--and many others besides.