Sixfold increase in US earthquakes may be caused by injection wells, say scientists

[Nihil]

6. It's option 2: It is very well known but too few people care.

This effect has been a documented reference in geology textbooks & courses
ever since the 1960s ...

(FWIW: BA in Earth Sciences + BSc (Hons) in Geology & Physics.).


The initial study concerned how injection into a 3-km-deep well at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal
triggered earthquakes.

(Healy JH, Rubey WW, Griggs DT, Raleigh CB. The Denver earthquakes. Science. 1968;161:1301–1310.)


Soon after the above, it was shown experimentally that earthquakes could be turned on and off
by varying the rate at which water was injected and thus modulating reservoir pressure.

(Raleigh CB, Healy JH, Bredehoeft JD. An experiment in earthquake control at rangely, colorado. Science. 1976;191:1230–1237.)

Extract from the second reference (via http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17737698):

Abstract
An experiment in an oil field at Rangely, Colorado, has demonstrated the feasibility of earthquake control. Variations in seismicity were produced by controlled variations in the fluid pressure in a seismically active zone.
...
The results of this experiment confirm the predicted effect of fluid pressure on earthquake activity and indicate that earthquakes can be controlled wherever we can control the fluid pressure in a fault zone.

There is no "ignorance" or "mistakes" or "accidents" involved in this situation: it is
all very well-known & proven science.

The decision to proceed with it is purely financial - yes, even up to good old POTUS.