Oil industry sinkhole threatens to swallow city
BAD CAVERNS: Unlike the Carlsbad Caverns, collapsed brine wells like this one in nearby Artesia, N.M., aren't natural. (Photo: National Cave And Karst Research Institute/AP) 
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Comments(67)
Posted By roy - Mon, Nov 23 2009 at 4:59 PM ESTGet a Clue
Of all the comments I've read in the last few minutes only Dink mentioned any responsibility of government in both the permit and oversight process. As usual (with the blame big business crowd) it's always BIG CORPORATION'S fault and they and the BIG INSURANCE COMPANIES need to pay and "you're not using my tax money for that". How many of those commenting here are on unemployment, food stamps, participated in "Cash for Clunkers", took advantage of the $8,000 First Time Home Buyers Credit,.... More
Posted By CHEROKEE - Fri, Nov 20 2009 at 7:00 AM ESTSINKHOLE
Maybe all the crooked cops in Carlsbad,N.M. will fall in it. and the WIPP Site and their radiation.
Posted By mike smith - Wed, Nov 18 2009 at 2:32 PM ESTyou people blow
liberal hipocrites, the fact that you are enjoying typing your dribble on your computer, then get into your car to go get a $4 cappacino and spout some more dribble with other like minded liberal idiots about how everyone else is hurting the planet but you always amazes me. If you want to make zero impact then go back to the way things were before, give everything you have away and live off the land like an aborigine the way the great spirit intended. But you can't cause you would dead within a.... More
Posted By john - Sat, Nov 21 2009 at 5:50 PM ESTyou are silly
Your inaccurate stereotypes and broad generalizations amount to hubris, self-delusion, and self-hate. You'll die a miserable man. Good luck.
Posted By Mike - Wed, Nov 18 2009 at 3:27 PM ESThmmm
Anywhere there is human activity you'll find human crap left behind in some form or another. The earliest crappers were from Africa who then spread to Europe then Asia and North America (clovis crap) then to South America. Seems we can blame this all on early crappers the Africans.
Posted By Pat - Wed, Nov 18 2009 at 12:03 AM ESTDrilling or screwing?
But seriously, this points out that oil drilling practices anywhere can hurt innocent people, while huge companies make big profits and spit in your face at your loss of property...or worse. If you have a mortgage on the house, and it's destroyed by something like this, you still owe the bank that money. We need to be outraged, not laughing.
Posted By kena - Mon, Nov 16 2009 at 1:40 AM ESTHumans Exposed
Yet another example of how WE have placed "value" on something that doens't "value" US. Are we going to start listening? We are Here. The resident in the artical want to "forget" about it, but she can't, IT'S right There!
Here we are, Humans.
Posted By heidi - Fri, Dec 11 2009 at 8:58 PM ESTHumans Exposed
Enter your comments here Spelling and grammar show your ignorance. Have someone with a grade-school education help you with your next post.
Posted By ZOG - Thu, Nov 19 2009 at 8:17 AM ESTSAVE THE EARTH KILL YOUR SELF
Enter your comments here
Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Nov 15 2009 at 3:57 PM ESTOMG!
I think terrorists did it! Americans should go and spread their freedom again. haha. haha.
Posted By masa - Sat, Nov 14 2009 at 3:43 PM ESTkorva
Haha i hope whole america sinks in that hole.
Posted By Michael - Sat, Nov 14 2009 at 3:39 PM ESTPeople will die
And it shouldn't be the innocent citizens of the town but the SOB's that own the company I&W Trucking.
Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Nov 13 2009 at 2:35 PM ESTSorry..
This site was linked at a finnish site and these retards who started spamming stuff about "Riemurasia" are just some stupid finnish kids and we are very sorry about them.
And i just want to say that not all finnish people are like them. They are just normal internet trolls.
Posted By scott - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 7:16 AM ESTThere is only one Carlsbad!!!
This is proof that god hates all Carlsbads except Carlsbad, Ca. Karlsbad, Czech Repubic is next.
Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 10:52 AM ESTWhata Jack ***
what kind of comment is that? seriously, under the face of imminent danger to actual human beings, who makes comments as tasteless and ignorant as that?
Posted By binski - Sat, Nov 21 2009 at 8:04 AM ESTI figgered his name was
Carl. Or Karl. Because he is bad. And he is talking about Carlsbad. But that wouldn't make all Carls bad.
Posted By Singe - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 3:16 AM ESTThis is standard
mining industry industry practice. They do their business until they've polluted the water table to the point it's too toxic to drink, then move to a new location or dissolve the company so it can't get sued for cleanup. In this case, it's sinkholes. A lot of useful information can be found in this regard in Jared Diamond's book, "Collapse". There's already one Superfund site in Carlsbad. Soon more will follow.
Posted By Respect Mother Earth - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 6:32 PM ESTOil Company Should Pay OR ELSE
The oil company should pay for all of the damage they created. The entire town should get together and file a class action law suit and draw attention to the company and give them the bad press they deserve so other fellow Americans can boycott the company and force them to fix the issue.
This happened in Avila Beach California. There were huge holding tanks that were leaking oil into the ground for years and contaminating the ground water as well as the environment. The oil company.... More
Posted By Teri - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 4:03 PM ESTBE NICE
Like the saying goes if u can't say something nice then say nothing at all. I grew up in Carlsbad. All towns have the good and bad parts. Even though i no longer live there I have ALOT of friends and family that do and this sinkhole is very disturbing to be. I believe the oil companies are responsible and should be the ones paying.
Posted By TK - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 2:56 PM ESTOil Company Should Pay for that Not Tax Payers!
It's interesting how these oil companies can just go in and destroy our natural environment, but taxpayers are the ones who have to fix the problems they leave for us.
Posted By Troll Ala Mode - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 2:53 PM ESTEaten by sinkhole while sleeping...
You guys are funny with comments. The guy from Europe, why do Europeans always throw pot shots at America? Why? I suggest European countries do more to help the world since the majority of people there think they're at the top of the food chain...instead of just sitting around. That photo is scary, almost like a 2012 photo.
Posted By sneaker - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 1:37 PM ESTPretty Clear
Oil company ****** it up, Oil company should fix it or compensate injured (financially or physically) residents.
Posted By Jason - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 1:14 PM ESTGoogle Maps?
Anyone have the Google Earth co-ordinance for this sinkhole?
Posted By Dink - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 10:12 AM ESTDinks
There is no sinkhole yet. And for all you uninformed, I&W is NOT an oil company. The only produce brine for use in the oil industry. Big difference. But I do agree I&W made some bad choices, but the OCD failed to provide adequate oversight. Just like the CA parol board failed to find Jaycee Dugard.
Posted By Homo Europeanus - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 5:36 AM ESTGreetings from Europe
Uh, after reading the comments I wish the whole US would sink into a giant sinkhole...
Posted By Thomas - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 6:00 PM ESTGreetings from Europe
I'd rather live in a sink hole than a **** hole like Europe.
Posted By Lee - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 1:33 AM ESTEurope
I'm from Europe, and I can't be the least bit offended by your comment. It's hillarious! Europe is great, and I love it :)
Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 1:04 PM ESTEurope
Agreed! Europe is great - and I usually find both the Europeans and the Americans that talk **** about each other are usually the dumb, ignorant Europeans/Americans that have very little education and fall into the average or below category. Europe and America both have its ups and downs. By the way, isn't MNN an 'American' website? If so, if your European and talking ****, get off our websites.
Posted By LPrevolt - Mon, Nov 16 2009 at 1:04 AM ESTEurope or Bust?
I'm a 50 year old 7th Generation American, but since 2001 I think sometimes the US Will (and should) fall into a cesspool stinking sink hole of it's own evil making. Only because the politicians have forsaken their own people and Do wrong unto the rest of the world. BTW any room there in Europe for an outcast like me? Because I know idiots here will tell me to Love America or Leave it - Right or wrong! And that is the main problem with our idiotic people today, Especially when America IS.... More
Posted By thinker - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 5:04 AM ESTReally
why don't they just fill it up again with water? Does anyone knows why those roads lead to the lake?
Posted By GJ - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 8:44 AM ESTWater makes it worse
The lake wasn't there before, there was a pump house on it which pumped fresh water in, and slurry came out. Slowly, the water dissolved dirt and minerals from the ceiling and deposited them on the floor, making the roof of the cavern, including the pump house, fall through and into the water. Adding more water would only widen the hole. The best way to solve the problem would be to fill it with dirt, but that's expensive.
Posted By LPrevolt - Mon, Nov 16 2009 at 1:20 AM ESTWater Makes it Worse
Of coarse Water Makes it worse, Like a pit dug by the ocean, haven't you ever see the "under ground" water cloapse your pit you dug in the sand at the beach? (I live near Laguna Beach Ca and as a child did this often.) But So does not pumped in water like Rain for that matter... I guess the Only way to make it "better" are to make large black water proof parking lots over the area in trouble so that it can run the water off to a river when it rains and so the tar can soak up the suns heat.... More
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 4:28 AM ESToil
Oil company gotta fill the hole. They have the resposibility also if the city collapses, they gotta pay.
Posted By Tom - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 1:45 PM ESTInsurance would pay, wouldn't it?
Well, actually, insurance companies would probably pay first. Though I'm not actually sure what kind of insurance would cover a sinkhole. Is that even in a policy?
Posted By LPrevolt - Mon, Nov 16 2009 at 1:27 AM ESTInsurance??? Good Luck
Insurance won't pay... Homeowners, business or any other type. because although the events are triggered by man made actions, the sink holes in the area are products of Nature over millions of years, there collapses are just recent events of man intrusion on Natures splendor. And thus Insurance will call these things ACTS of GOD, which Insurance, in the small print, doesn't pay for.
Posted By binski - Sat, Nov 21 2009 at 8:10 AM ESTclass action
that is the only way to get at the company to pay damages. and then you would have to wait until the damage occured. and they would most likely fold up shop rather than be picked apart by 100 lawyers.
The only hope is that a large corporation owned the trucking company. Then it couldn't simply bury it.
Any way you look at it, it is a legal mess.
Posted By Ben - Thu, Nov 19 2009 at 11:03 PM ESTThis is not a natural cavern
This sinkhole is not related to nature, and definitely not the Act of a loving God! This sinkhole used to be an underground salt deposit. They have been pumping water into it for 30 years, and then sucking the salt slurry created back out, leaving a giant cavern underground. They abandoned it, leaving it to fill with ground water, which has started to erode the surface layers from the bottom up. Now the thin layer on top will collapse into the giant lake, with the town on it. Not an Act of.... More
Posted By Great Work - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 3:10 AM ESTAmazed at your Prowess
Excellent work fellow humans, this is why arguing on the internet has value, fun stuff!
I had much more fun with the comments than the article itself.
but indeed something to look forward to.
Posted By Darwin - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 12:39 AM ESTScarey
Wow that totally sucks. But hey, shouldnt the oil company be responsible? If i get a permit to dig in my back yard and i hit a line and do damage, i have to get it repaired. Same should apply/
Posted By PayUpOilCompanies - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 12:11 AM ESTNot my tax dollars!
"and they hope that state and federal funds will arrive in time to fill the cavern before it collapses."
Seriously? Why do my tax dollars have to pay for this crap? Call the oil companies! Oh wait, that's a liability that must be socialized, they already privatized all the profit from that venture...
Posted By Carl is Bad? - Tue, Nov 10 2009 at 10:55 PM ESTWho is...
this guy in New Mexico who is named Carl and why is he bad? What did he do?
Posted By Ron - Tue, Nov 10 2009 at 10:53 PM ESTPotential disaster
It cannot be wise to insult people who own guns. This could lead to a shootout...
Posted By NMNative - Tue, Nov 10 2009 at 10:35 PM ESTAn improvement
I've been to Carlsbad and the surrounding "Little Texas" area of New Mexico several times. I can honestly say that having the town swallowed by a sinkhole would be an improvement. Southeastern New Mexico is the armpit of the Southwest.
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 11:41 AM ESTBACK OFF
I grew up in Carlsbad! It's a great little town to raise a family and everyone is really nice. Carlsbad sits in the lowest elevation of New Mexico in the desert and the scenery is beautiful. You just didn't know where to go when you "visited". I know all the secret places that makes that place beautiful. DONT TALK BEFORE YOU TRULY KNOW ABOUT THE PLACE!
The End is Near!
For proof, just read these comments.