Representative Hagan reacts to link between injection wells and - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Representative Bob Hagan is reacting to a new report linking injection wells and earthquakes.

On Monday, The Science Journal issued a report showing an increased risk of earthquakes largely due to deep well injection.

According to a release, the report outlines the findings of author William L. Ellsworth of the USGS Earthquake Science Center.

Rep. Hagan told 21 News that he already knew from previous experience that there is a direct link between injection wells and earthquakes.

What he found interesting, he says, is that there is a portion of the study that shows it's possible that injection wells can actually cause earthquakes in other parts of the world, not just in their immediate vicinity.

Hagan released this statement in response to the report:

"Yet again we are confronted with more scientific evidence that seems to indicate that we have a lot of work to do in Ohio. We have to take a more proactive approach to ensure that we are going about the complete fracking process in a safe and responsible way.

"There is no harm in slowing down to examine scientific research to see what we can do better and safer in our state. We are at the forefront of oil and gas exploration in Ohio, there's no reason our safety and regulatory practices shouldn't be cutting edge as well.

"We have the resources, we have the research and we have the oil and gas. Let's do this the right way to make sure we have the safety and appropriate processes in place too."