Daisetta, Texas Sinking Fast

A town in Texas is sinking fast and authorities are trying desperately to find a solution.

Regulators continued monitoring a massive sinkhole which has swallowed up oil field equipment, poles and some vehicles since surfacing just outside the southeast Texas community of Daisetta.

There were no reports of injuries or of any homes being damaged early Thursday.

Investigators with the Texas Railroad Commission were checking pipelines in the area and trying to determine if any regulations have been violated, said agency spokeswoman Ramona Nye.

Officials with Texas Natural Resources and Conservation were monitoring air and water quality. So far, no pollutants have been detected.

Authorities think that the history of the town, as a once booming oil town, might be to blame for the sink hole.

The ground might have caved in because of the collapse of an old salt dome where oil brine and natural gas are stored underground, officials said. Daisetta sits on a salt dome, one of the most common types of traps for oil.

Authorities are saying it could take up to two weeks for the sinkhole to stabilize. Considering it’s grown to 600 feet long and 200 feet deep (by Wednesday) this could be a problem if it continues growing at that rate.

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