Investigators focus on about 3-mile stretch to find cause of more than 100 West Texas earthquakes

HERMILE — The Texas Railroad Commission said inspectors are checking saltwater disposal wells within 2.5 miles of where a series of earthquakes stunned West Texas residents.

According to the National Earthquake Center, this week's earthquakes occurred in Camp Springs along the Fisher-Scurry County line.

“As part of efforts to reduce seismic activity caused by underground produced water injection, several operators in the region have converted deep brine disposal wells to shallow brine disposal wells over the past year,” the agency that regulates oil, gas and coal in Texas said in a statement.

The Water Resources Regulatory Authority said two deep waste disposal wells had been shut down. The government agency added that seismic activity was being monitored and next steps were being considered.

Last week, Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks officially declared a state of disaster as a result of the earthquakes and requested urgent assistance from the state.

Don DeVille lives near the epicenter of the earthquake in Hermleigh on Highway 180. The 69-year-old, who first worked as a police officer before working with the railroad for 37 years, used his investigative skills.

He mapped the oil and brine disposal wells near his and his wife’s 155-acre property. DeVille also compared seismic activity between May and June and July 15-30 of this year. 2024 beat the previous year.

“It's a man-made problem. It's a problem caused by man's greed. I'm absolutely convinced of that,” DeVille said.

The Natural Resources Regulatory Authority said the disposal wells pump mineral water from oil and gas into designated areas underground. But DeVille suspects that the amount of water being pumped into the wells may be too much. That’s something investigators are trying to determine because of more than 100 earthquakes in two weeks.

“I mean, it's every day, every day, multiple times, four, five, six a day,” DeVille said.

The retiree said the earth-shattering events were shocking to him and his wife. So far, the biggest event occurred on Friday, July 26.

“It was about nine in the morning,” he said. “I was just sitting in my Lazy Boy wagon having my morning juice after feeding my horse and stuff — and the wagon flipped over.”

Devil says he saw the quake go by, but says the violent shaking happens so quickly that it's hard for him to think or take the right position to protect himself. He worries his house will collapse on him.

“You don't know what to do because you have this fear, but 10 or 15 seconds is all you have,” he said.

The husband and father said an earthquake struck his pasture over the weekend. He has spoken to the Rural Rescue Committee about his family's safety and his concerns.

“I mean the earthquakes got stronger. They went from one to two to three to four. Now we're at five. What happens when we get to six?”

There is damage inside his home, such as cracks along the ceiling and nails going through the closet ceiling. Outside, a shift can be seen from the porch and cracks around the sides of the house. It is believed there may be damage to the sewer line.

His friend Joe Hodge suffered similar damage to the roofs of several rooms. Hodge and his wife also have cracks that are taking up more space on the exterior of their home with each quake.

Hodge and Devilly will not invest in repairs until the ground events stop because they believe it is a waste of time and money.

The Texas Department of Emergency Management said it has received 85 requests for assistance from the ongoing earthquakes. The Texas Department of Emergency Management is still assessing the damage, but the extent of the damage has not risen to the level of requiring federal assistance.

Devilly said he and his wife hope to sell their property to move closer to their daughters. They're tired of earthquakes, and he wonders if anyone will want the land.

“We put this place up for sale, and it’s been up for sale for months,” he said. “Who’s going to buy it now?”

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