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The method for extracting gas from the Marcellus Shale--a process called "horizontal hydrolic fracturing," or [[hydrofracking]], in which a fluid is injected into the rock which then releases the gas along with radioactive toxins and other hazardous substances in the shale--has raised serious environmental and health concerns.<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturing "What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?"], ''Pro Publica'', undated, accessed October 2009.</ref> In New Mexico, for example, similar processes have leached toxic chemicals into the water table at 800 sites.<ref>Abrahm Lustgarten, [http://www.propublica.org/feature/new-yorks-gas-rush-poses-environmental-threat-722 "New York’s Gas Rush Poses Environmental Threat"], ''ProPublicaPro Publica'', July 22, 2008.</ref> To force natural gas out of shale, millions of gallons of fresh, drinkable water are forced through a pipe drilled into the shale at extremely high pressure. A variety of chemicals are added to the water to keep the fractures in the shale open and keep the gas flowing to the surface.<ref>{http://www.adk.org/pdf/ADK_Comments_on_NYS_Energy_Plan.pdf, "Adirondack Mountain Club

[[PropublicaPro Publica]] has provided two charts, depicting how the "hydro-fracking" process works. "What is Hydraulic Fracturing?" can be seen at: http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturing-national and "Anatomy of a Gas Well can be seen at: http://www.propublica.org/feature/anatomy-of-a-gas-well-426. Although no complete list of the cocktail of chemicals used in this process exists, information obtained from environmental clean-up sites demonstrates that known toxins are routinely being used, including hydrochloric acid, diesel fuel (which contains benzene, tuolene, and xylene) as well as formaldehyde, polyacrylimides, arsenic, and chromates.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2212071120091223] "Q+A: Environmental fears over U.S. shale gas drilling," Reuters, Dec. 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Weston Wilson, [http://latimes.image2.trb.com/lanews/media/acrobat/2004-10/14647025.pdf Letter to Senators Allard and Campbell and Representative DeGette], October 8, 2004. This letter, from a U.S. [[Environmental Protection Agency]] Employee, describes how the [[Bush Administration]]'s EPA produced a scientifically unsupportable conclusion that hydrofracking should not be regulated under the Clean Water Drinking Act.</ref> These chemicals include known carcinogens and other hazardous substances.<ref>[http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Gas-Drilling-Plan-Raises-Water-Contamination-Fears-in-New-York-City-80075172.html "Gas Drilling Plan Raises Water Contamination Fears in New York City"], Voice of America News, Carolyn Weaver, December 24, 2009</ref>

<youtube size="small" align="left">TEtgvwllNpg</youtube> <br>[[PropublicaPro Publica]] reporter Abrahm Lustgarten revealed that as much as 85% of the fluids used during hydrofracking is regularly left underground after wells are drilled in the Marcellus Shale. Translation: "[Over] three million gallons of chemically tainted wastewater could be left in the ground forever. Drilling compnaies say that chemical make up less than 1% of that fluid...[which] still amount[s] to 34,000 gallons in a typical well." The old school of thought was that only roughly 30% of the fluids stayed in the ground, which has proven false.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30978.html], "New gas wells leave more chemicals in ground," Abrahm Lusgarten, Politico.com, December 27, 2009</ref> [[Toxics Targetting]], created a video in which they show what they coin "ignitible water." The video can be seen at left. <ref>[http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/videos/ignitable_drinking_water], "Ignitible Drinking Water From a Well in Candor, New York, Located Above the Marcellus Shale Formation."</ref>

In the April 30, 2009 [PropublicaPro Publica]]'s Abrahm Lustgarten wrote about a story he dug up from Louisiana's <i>Shreveport Times</i>. The story revealed that 16 cattle mysteriously and abruptly dropped dead in a "northwestern Louisiana field after apparently drinking from a mysterious fluid adjacent to a natural gas drilling rig, according to Louisiana's [[Department of Environmental Quality]]. At least one worker told the newspaper that the fluids...were used for...hydraulic fracturing.<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/article/16-cattle-drop-dead-near-mysterious-fluid-at-gas-drilling-site-430], "16 Cattle Drop Dead Near Mysterious Fluid at Gas Drilling Site," Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica, April 30, 2009</ref>

On December 30, 2009, [[ProPublicaPro Publica]]'s Abrahm Lustgarten reported that oil and gas regulators are spread too thin to do their jobs, even with the minimal guidelines in place. Doing the math, he reveals that for the state's 17 inspectors to visit West Virginia's 55,222 wells once a year, they would have to inspect nine wells a day, every day of the year, with no weekends off, nor any vacation days. While the number of new oil and gas wells being drilled in the 22 states each year has jumped 45 percent since 2004, most of the states have added only a few regulators.<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/state-oil-and-gas-regulators-are-spread-too-thin-to-do-their-jobs-1230 "State Oil and Gas Regulators Are Spread Too Thin to Do Their Jobs"], Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica; December 30, 2009</ref>

Texas has it the worst, possessing 273,660 wells and just 106 regulators to oversee them. In late 2007, a Texas state auditor's report found that nearly half of the state's wells hadn't been inspected in the five years between 2001 and 2006, when the data was collected. According to [[ProPublicaPro Publica]]'s analysis, the number of new wells drilled each year in Texas has jumped 75 percent since 2003. However, staffing increased just 5 percent during that period and enforcement actions increased only 6 percent. The situation in Texas exemplifies the situation in every state in which wells are dug into for oil.<ref>[http://projects.propublica.org/gas-drilling-regulatory-staffing], Abrahm Lustgarten, PropublicaPro Publica, December 30, 2009</ref>

According to [[ProPublicaPro Publica]] reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, the EPA under [[Christine Todd Whitman]]'s tenure as Administrator engaged in secret negotiations with industry, while supposedly addressing drinking water issues related to hydro-fracturing.<ref>See http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/3/fracking_and_the_environment_natural_gas.</ref> In 2004, the EPA undertook a study on the issue and "the EPA, despite its scientific judgment that there was a potential risk to groundwater supplies, which their report clearly says, then went ahead and very surprisingly concluded that there was no risk to groundwater," Lustgarten said in September 2009. "[P]art of my reporting found that throughout that process the EPA was closer than seemed comfortable with the industry. I filed [[FOIA]] requests for some documents and found conversations between [[Halliburton]] employees and the EPA researchers, essentially asking for an agreement from Halliburton in exchange for more lax enforcement. The EPA, in these documents, appeared to offer that and agree to that. And it doesn’t appear, by any means, to have been either a thorough or a very objective study." <ref>Interview with Abrahm Lustgarten, "[http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/3/fracking_and_the_environment_natural_gas Fracking and the Environment: Natural Gas Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination]," ''Democracy Now!'', September 3, 2009.</ref>

Misleadingly, in an e-mail to [[Probublica]] reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, [[Lee Fuller]], vice president of government relations for the [[Independent Petroleum Association of America]] said "[The measures in the FRAC Act] run counter to the nation's energy goals -- increasing the supply of American oil and natural gas -- by making it too costly to produce. Statements that hydraulic fracturing is unregulated are simply not true. It's been regulated assiduously by the states for more than 50 years."<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/frac-act-congress-introduces-bills-to-control-drilling-609], "FRAC Act—Congress Introduces Twin Bills to Control Drilling and Protect Drinking Water," ProPublicaPro Publica, Abrahm Lustgarten, June 9, 2009</ref>

Similarly, [[Richard Ranger]], senior policy analyst at the [[American Petroleum Institute]] told [[PropublicaPro Publica]] in May, "We don't think the system is broke, so we question the value of trying to fix it with a federal solution. So proceed with caution if you are going to proceed with regulating this business because it could make a very significant difference in delivering a fuel that is fundamental to economic health."<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/natural-gas-politics-526 "Natural Gas Politics"], Abraham Lustgarten, PropublicaPro Publica, May 26, 2009</ref>

More of the same occurred during the Thursday, June 4, 2009 Subcommittee On Energy And Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing On "Unconventional Fuels, Part I: Shale Gas Potential." In the hearing, [[Lynn Helms]], an executive of [[Chesapeake Energy]] and Director of the [[Department of Mineral Resources of the Industrial Commission of the State of North Dakota]] "told the committee that state regulations of hydraulic fracturing are sufficient and effective and insisted that the fracturing process and the chemicals it uses are safe."<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/industry-defends-federal-loophole-for-drilling-before-hearing-605], "Industry Defends Federal Loophole for Drilling Before Packed Congressional Hearing," Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica, June 5, 2009</ref><ref>[http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/images/Documents/20090604/emr/testimony_helms.pdf], "Testimony Submitted to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce,

But, as Lustgarten notes: "a close reading of the law shows that the [[Safe Drinking Water Act]] already defers regulatory authority over oil and gas drilling to the states and that reversing the exemption in question would mainly provide a baseline for best practices and give the federal government authority to investigate contamination cases or disastrous accidents."<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/industry-defends-federal-loophole-for-drilling-before-hearing-605], "Industry Defends Federal Loophole for Drilling Before Packed Congressional Hearing," Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica, June 5, 2009</ref>

Colorado Rep. [[Diana DeGette]], a co-sponsor of the FRAC Act, along with [[Maurice Hinchey]] (D-NY) and [[Jared Polis]] (D-Co) said “I frankly think the oil and gas companies have been running a scare campaign. I don’t know if the oil and gas industry doesn’t understand the bill or if they are intentionally misrepresenting the bill.”<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/industry-defends-federal-loophole-for-drilling-before-hearing-605], "Industry Defends Federal Loophole for Drilling Before Packed Congressional Hearing," Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica, June 5, 2009</ref>

At times, it appears as if big oil and gas money is driving policy. At that same hearing, Rep. [[Dan Boren]] (D-OK) stated, "I am proud that I am supported by the oil and gas industry because they employ a lot of people in my state and I am going to stick up for them. I am sick and tired of a lot of folks in my own caucus coming after the largest employer in my state."<ref>[http://www.propublica.org/feature/industry-defends-federal-loophole-for-drilling-before-hearing-605], "Industry Defends Federal Loophole for Drilling Before Packed Congressional Hearing," Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaPro Publica, June 5, 2009</ref>

*[[ProPublicaPro Publica]]

* ProPublicaPro Publica, ''[http://www.propublica.org/series/buried-secrets-gas-drillings-environmental-threat Buried Secrets: Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat]''. This is an archive of articles on environmental issues associated with the development of the Marcellus shale deposits.

* Good Interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" with ProPublica Pro Publica Investigative Reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127561853/ Reporter: Documents Show Years of BP Neglect]"