Texas Railroad Commission Rejects Quake Study

An inquiry by the agency that regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas has found that oil and gas activity did not likely cause a swarm of earthquakes around the North Texas towns of Azle and Reno starting in 2013.

The finding flies in the face of a peer-reviewed scientific study of the quakes.

Correction: An earlier version of this story included Reno Mayor Lynda Stokes’ assertion that she had not been invited to the hearing. Upon reviewing her records, she says she was notified, but believed the date of the meeting had been changed.

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Kiah Collier was a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative initiative from 2020 through 2023. She previously worked at the Tribune as a reporter and associate editor, covering energy and...