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ByAliciaChang TheAssociatedPress LOSANGELES Withtheev- idence coming in from one study after another, scien- tists are now more certain than ever that oil and gas drilling is causing hun- dreds upon hundreds of earthquakes across the U.S. So far, the quakes have been mostly small and have done little damage beyond cracking plaster, toppling bricks and rattling nerves. But scientists warn that the shaking can dramati- cally increase the chances of bigger, more dangerous quakes. Up to now, the oil and gas industry has generally argued that any such link requires further study. But the rapidly mounting evi- dence could bring heavier regulation down on drill- ers and make it more diffi- cult for them to get projects approved. The potential for man- made quakes "is an impor- tant and legitimate concern that must be taken very se- riously by regulators and in- dustry," said Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia Univer- sity. He said companies and states can reduce the risk by taking such steps as mon- itoring operations more closely, imposing tighter standards and recycling wastewater from drilling instead of injecting it un- derground. A series of government and academic studies over the past few years — includ- ing at least two reports re- leased this week alone — has added to the body of ev- idence implicating the U.S. drilling boom that has cre- ated a bounty of jobs and tax revenue over the past decade or so. On Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey released the first comprehensive maps pinpointing more than a dozen areas in the central and eastern U.S. that have been jolted by quakes that the researchers said were triggered by drill- ing. The report said man- made quakes tied to indus- try operations have been on the rise. Scientists have mainly attributed the spike to the injection of wastewa- ter deep underground, a practice they say can acti- vate dormant faults. Only a few cases of shaking have been blamed on fracking, in which large volumes of water, sand and chemicals are pumped into rock for- mations to crack them open and free oil or gas. "The picture is very clear" that wastewater in- jection can cause faults to move, said USGS geophysi- cist William Ellsworth. Until recently, Okla- homa — one of the biggest energy-producing states — had been cautious about linking the spate of quakes to drilling. But the Okla- homa Geological Survey acknowledged earlier this week that it is "very likely" that recent seismic activity was caused by the injection of wastewater into oil and gas wells. Earthquake activity in Oklahoma in 2013 was 70 times greater than it was before 2008, state geolo- gists reported. Oklahoma historically recorded an av- erage of 1.5 quakes of mag- nitude 3 or greater each year. It is now seeing an average of 2.5 such quakes each day, according to ge- ologists. Angela Spotts, who lives outside Stillwater, Okla- homa, in an area with a number of wastewater dis- posal wells, said the shak- ing has damaged her brick home. She pointed to the cracked interior and exte- rior walls, and windows and kitchen cabinets that are separating from the structure. "There's been no doubt in my mind what's causing them," Spotts said. "Sadly, it's really taken a long time for people to come around. Our lives are being placed at risk. Our homes are be- ing broken." SCIENCE Report: Man-made quakes shake over a dozen areas By Scott Smith The Associated Press KEENE Hundreds gath- ered Thursday to see mili- tary honors rendered belat- edly for Cesar Chavez, the legendary rights and labor leader but also a Navy vet- eran. On the 22nd anniversary of his death, Chavez re- ceived full graveside hon- ors from the U.S. Navy at his memorial in California's Central Valley. The idea for the cere- mony came from a current sailor who learned Chavez didn't receive the honors at the time of his death, ac- cording to the Cesar Chavez Foundation. Paul Chavez, son of the civil rights leader, said Chavez's sudden death from natural causes in 1993, at age 66, had surprised his family. He and his siblings didn't ask at the time for military recognition for their father, who served in the western Pacific during a 1946-48 stint in the Navy, according to the founda- tion's website. "We just didn't do it," Paul Chavez said near his father's memorial site, where crowds gathered in the foothills of the San Joa- quin Valley for the ser- vice. "We were busy trying to comfort peo- ple and bury him with dignity. We had always focused on his work with farmwork- ers" rather than his mili- tary service. It was Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Marco Valdovi- nos who contacted the fam- ily with the idea of arrang- ing the military honors af- ter watching a film released last year capturing the life and work of Chavez. Valdo- vinos led the military cer- emony. Chavez's foundation hosted, along with the Na- tional Park Service, which operates Chavez's memo- rial. "I know he's looking from above," his sister 89-year- old Rita Chavez Martin said. "His spirit is right here. I always feel his spirit." She said her brother, known for his humility, never sought recognition for his work. Born near Yuma, Ari- zona, Chavez used marches, boycotts and hunger strikes to bring attention to the plight of the country's farm- workers. He formed the Na- tional Farm Workers Asso- ciation, which later became United Farm Workers. The slogan he popular- ized for farmworkers, "Si, se puede," or "Yes, we can," evolved to also become the presidential campaign slo- gan of Barack Obama. Mir tha Villarreal- Younger, deputy secretary for the California Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs and Army veteran, told the gathering that each of those streets is a beacon of hope for Latinos. "Each of us has power within us to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks regardless of our humble beginnings," she said. "Ce- sar led the way. He showed us how." CIVIL RIGHTS ICON Cesar Chavez gets Navy funeral honors Chavez Friday,May1st MikeMancini&ToddJohnson doorsopen@7:30pm•showstarts@8:30pm ReservedTableSeats$15•GeneralAdmissionOnly$10! Tickets on sale now! online at www.ticketforce.com or at coat check inside the casino Must be 21 to Attend µ Management Reserves all Rights ©2015 presents Ifyou'relivingwithA-Fib, this seminar will be music to your ears. Learn about new treatment options, including the Hybrid Maze procedure, a revolutionary treatment for Atrial Fibrillation. 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