EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the extent of the water problems.
European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) reports:The gas rush in Pennsylvania, created by the controversial drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking—which requires injecting huge amounts of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure thousands of feet beneath the Earth's surface to extract reserves of natural gas, has brought an economic boom to the state, generating 23,000 jobs, and billions of dollars in state and local tax revenues. It has caused complaints in Northeastern Pennsylvania that the drilling is polluting the water table with dangerous quantities of methane. Some residents now rely on outside water distribution, and are making their protests heard. Yet with the gas industry expected to keep drilling here—as many as 2,500 new wells are expected in Pennsylvania every year—residents opposed to fracking are bracing for a drawn-out fight.
The Marcellus Shale formation that lies under parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia is believed to hold 84 trillion cubic feet (2.38 trillion cubic meters) of recoverable natural gas -- enough to supply the nation's gas-burning electrical plants for 11 years. But health concerns have risen over the drilling practice which many believe have caused air and groundwater pollution in other states where thousands of shale gas wells have been drilled — including Texas, Wyoming, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
- Here, in New York, a coalition has formed to fight fracking.
- In Wyoming, environmentalists are suing over the fluids during the process.
- More on the drilling practice in Pennsylvania on NPR.
- New York Times Magazine story on fracturing in Pennsylvania from Nov. 2011.
- More about hydraulic fracturing process and studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- FAQ from the Environmental Protection Agency on natural gas drlling in the Marcellus Shale (PDF)
