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2013
January (2013)
SkyTruth: Upper Green River Valley – A View From Above
Using the latest in satellite imagery, aerial photography, and Google Earth technology, this ten minute SkyTruth video explores the environmental impacts of gas and oil drilling in the Upper Green River Valley, an ecologically sensitve area of western Wyoming.
Source: YouTube (2007) Read MorePA Gas Rush
Learn how new drilling technology and rising fuel prices are driving the natural gas rush in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale—a 6,000 foot deep rock formation which has the potential to fuel the entire country for two full years.
Source: YouTube (2008) Read MorePolar Bears
Public service announcement (PSAs) designed to urge Americans to take advantage of mass transit, carpooling and biking to combat global warming.
Source: YouTube (2008) Read MoreCW Sanders drives over the Barnett Shale during the boom in 2002
The Barnett Shale – the oldest producing well in the barnett shale is still producing from its primary pressure created by the frac job by Sanders and Son.
Source: YouTube (2010) Read MoreChevron Human Energy Stories | Addressing Climate Change
Jonathan McIntoshs’ Remix Video is a critical and transformative work that constitutes a Fair Use in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. Source footage from Chevron TV ads, US Army ad, BBC News, Future Weapons, CSI and several other short clips recorded off television.
Source: YouTube (2009) Read MoreDEC Fracks NYC & Josh Fox of Water Under Attack’s Responds
Filmmaker Josh Fox of WaterUnderAttack.Com shows America how to speak truth to power, and leads us in the required revolution. “I know this is a farce, ” he tells DEC at the public hearing they are required to do before shoving this crap down our throats. “You didn’t listen to us before and you probably won’t listen to us again. But we are willing to engage in civil disobedience.”
Source: YouTube (2009) Read MoreEnCana Buries Hydraulic Fracturing Pit Sludge in Unlined Pit May 14, 2009
Twenty-three days after EnCana completed hydraulic fracturing operations on the F11E, the liner is removed, some of the sludge is pumped out and the remainder – perhaps 70 barrels or more – is dozed in.
Source: YouTube (2009) Read MoreHaynesville Shale Natural Gas Fracturing Job
Paul Bison: Nobody in the section, in the neighborhood is gonna ever benefit unless somebody lets ’em drill and when we leased three years ago, we knew what it was for, we took the money and now it’s time for somebody to step up to the plate and help em let it happen.
Source: YouTube (2008) Read MoreFracking and the Environment: Natural Gas Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination
Gas drilling companies such as Halliburton say the gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is safe, but opponents contend it pollutes groundwater with dangerous substances.
Source: YouTube | DemocracyNow! (2009) Read MoreBig Boys in Tulsa
Discussion at an imaginary natural gas exploration and production company headquarters. Video used the XtraNormal media plugin and is no longer available.
Source: xtranormal (2010) Read MoreIgnitable Drinking Water in Candor, NY, Above Marcellus Shale
This video documents a well in Candor, NY—above the Marcellus Shale—where drinking water can be ignited, raising urgent questions about regulatory oversight and underground contamination (Spill #0811696). Referencing Walter Hang’s 2010 letter to the NYS DEC and watchdog reports criticizing decades of insufficient enforcement, the footage situates the incident within a broader pattern of state-level regulatory failure and mounting public protest.
Source: YouTube (2009) Read MoreBeware The Green Dragon! | Right Wing Watch
Beware The Green Dragon! | Right Wing Watch seeks to expose how the “radical environmental” environmental movement is out to control the world and destroy Christianity.
Source: People for the American Way | Right Wing Watch (2010) Read MoreMyth Busting | The Marcellus: An American Travesty
MarcellusProtest.org served as an information hub for grassroots opposition to shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania and beyond. Emerging from local demonstrations, the movement connected activists, events, and resources across the Marcellus region while critiquing industry narratives. Participants later formed coalitions such as Protect Our Parks to resist drilling in public lands. The site documented how regional organizing built enduring activist networks that continued influencing environmental campaigns long after initial protests concluded.
Source: YouTube | "The Marcellus: An American Renewal" (2010) Read MoreSixty Lame Minutes
Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy blamed “Congressional apathy” for coal’s price advantages. Photo: F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg News
Source: Post Carbon Institute | Leading the transition to a resilient world (2010) Read MoreSmitsky Letter
Narrated by Virginia Smitske’s son, this firsthand account describes brown, toxin-filled water in a Pennsylvania household. The video contrasts public fear of distant health threats with the quiet normalization of local contamination tied to gas drilling.
Source: YouTube (2010) Read MorePlan to truck hydrofracking wastewater to Finger Lakes shelved, for now
Sharon Daggat and her husband have a 52 acre farm, 38 acres used as a vineyard, in the Steuben County town of Pulteney. They are concerned about a permit that would allow Chesapeake Energy to store hydrofracking wastewater in an empty natural gas well next to their property. Their property is less than a mile west of Keuka Lake. They fear contamination of their well water and damage to their vineyard.
Source: syracuse.com (2010) Read MoreU.S. Shale Gas
Potential Gas Committee reports unprecedented increase in magnitude of U.S. natural gas resource base.
Source: YouTube (2010) Read More2012
July (2012)
TEDX — The Endocrine Disruption Exchange
At TEDx events, researchers associated with The Endocrine Disruption Exchange brought endocrine science to wider audiences, explaining how low-dose chemical exposure can produce outsized biological effects. The talk translated lab findings into accessible warnings: invisible molecules can shape visible health outcomes.
Source: TEDX — The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (2009) Read MoreMay (2012)
Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC)
The Montana Environmental Information Center has long tracked energy development across the state — from coal to gas to emerging extraction fronts. Through litigation, research, and public campaigns, MEIC challenges permits and monitors regulators. In a region where drilling often unfolds far from urban centers, the group acts as watchdog — translating technical filings into something citizens can fight over.
Source: Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) (2010) Read MoreJanuary (2012)
France to Unlock Dirty Oil Under Paris With Texan Help
France, long vocal about climate leadership, quietly explored unlocking unconventional oil reserves beneath the Paris Basin using new extraction technologies. The proposal exposed a tension between environmental rhetoric and energy ambition, as officials weighed domestic production against public backlash and ecological risk.
Source: MetalMiner (2009) Read More2011
June (2011)
Gas drilling figures are downright scary
Whether you are for it or against it, hydrofracking will significantly alter our way of life, and it’s possible that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will make the decision to the end the current moratorium on June 1. Write or phone — tell him no.
Source: Auburn pub.com (2011) Read MoreMay (2011)
As You Sow – Corporate Accountability, Shareholder Action, and ToxicsReduction
As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy organization, pressed ExxonMobil and Chevron to disclose the environmental and financial risks of hydraulic fracturing, winning significant investor support for resolutions demanding transparency. Nearly 30 percent of Exxon shareholders and over 40 percent of Chevron investors backed first-year proposals calling for studies of fracking’s impacts, signaling growing concern within mainstream financial markets over regulatory, public health, and reputational risks.
Source: As You Sow (2011) Read MoreU.S. Congress. (2009). A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal a certain exemption for hydraulic fracturing, and for other purposes
Legislation introduced in Congress sought to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to remove exemptions shielding hydraulic fracturing from federal oversight. Supporters argued the change would restore transparency and accountability. Industry groups warned of duplication and delay. The bill spotlighted the “Halliburton loophole” in statutory form.
Source: Library of Congress (2009) Read MoreMarch (2011)
Marcellus Shale Protest
On November 3, 2010, more than 500 demonstrators gathered in Pittsburgh to protest the Developing Unconventional Gas (DUG) East Conference, where industry leaders—including keynote speaker Karl Rove—met to discuss shale gas development. Activists from Pennsylvania and neighboring states marched to the David Lawrence Convention Center calling for a moratorium on drilling and raising concerns about health, water safety, and environmental impacts linked to Marcellus Shale gas extraction. MarcellusProtest.org, a project of the Center for Coalfield Justice, served as an information hub for organizing, events, and regional activism across shale-impacted communities.
Source: Marcellus Shale Protest | No Frackng Way (2010) Read MoreThe Need for Mass Mobilizations
This essay argues that much of the climate justice movement has become isolated and screen-bound, with activists working alone through social media, emails, and phone calls rather than building embodied community. It contends that meaningful political power comes from visible, collective action in physical space, where real human connection strengthens courage and solidarity, and highlights mass mobilization and civil resistance—such as the actions of Tim DeChristopher—as essential to confronting corporate extraction and political complacency.
Source: Peaceful Uprising (2010) Read MoreProtests urge fracking fluid ban
Protestors outside the Buffalo offices of the Department of Environmental Conservation today called for an executive order by Governor Andrew Cuomo to define fracking fluid as a hazardous waste and ban its treatment by municipal facilities…
Source: PBS | Innovation Trail (2011) Read MoreOur Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival?–A Scientific Detective Story
A broad exposé of how chemicals disrupt the endocrine systems of living organisms.
Source: Plume (1997) Read MoreU.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy and National Energy Technology Laboratory: Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: A Primer.
The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy promotes research and development aimed at enhancing domestic energy production and technological efficiency. During the shale boom, federal research initiatives supported improved extraction techniques even as environmental and regulatory questions intensified.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy (2009) Read MoreThe Marcellus Shale Formation Information Site
This site focuses on one thing: what the Marcellus is, where it sits, and why it matters. It frames shale as geology first — thickness, depth, extent — the underground reality that launched a surface boom. Before the leases and lawsuits, there’s the formation itself: rock you can map, drill, fracture, and monetize. The tension comes when the geological footprint collides with watersheds, towns, and state lines.
Source: The Marcellus Shale Formation Information Site (2009) Read MoreWATER | Fracking and the Environment: Natural Gas Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination
ProPublica journalist Abrahm Lustgarten reported that federal officials in Wyoming found at least three water wells containing chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. The investigation brought the groundwater question into sharp focus, linking drilling activity to documented contamination findings. As shale development expanded, water moved to the center of the debate: how much is used, what returns to the surface, and how safely it is managed.
Source: Democracy Now (2010) Read MoreNatural Gas – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy
The U.S. Energy Information Administration lays out natural gas in plain terms: where it comes from, how it’s produced, where it goes, and what shapes prices. It’s a clean baseline — the institutional map beneath the noise. When public debate turns into slogans, the EIA pages remind you what’s measurable: reserves, production curves, consumption sectors, imports/exports, and the infrastructure that turns gas into power, heat, and revenue.
Source: Energy Information Administration (2010) Read MoreLeveling Appalachia: The Legacy of Mountaintop Removal Mining
Mountaintop removal and slickwater drilling for natural gas both have been challenged by experts for the environmental damages that occur. The pollution has been well documented in public testimony and observation and has proceeded without input from peer-reviewed scientific studies, making the people who live near these extraction processes human experiments in methods unproven to be safe in the long term. (Neil Zusman, 2010-11-10.)
Source: Yale Environment 360 (2009) Read MoreHydro-Fracking Resource and Action Center
Editor’s Note. 9 Aug 2023. Citizens Campaign Re-organized their website in 2015 I and archive.org does not have a good record of their earlier publications. They continue to be
Source: Citizens Campaign for the Environment (2011) Read MoreGlobal Warming
The Pew Environment Group and affiliated climate initiatives focus on scientific research, public education, and policy advocacy addressing global warming. Drawing on findings from bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Pew emphasizes the risks posed by fossil fuel emissions, Arctic melt, and extreme weather. Its campaigns have promoted clean energy standards, fuel efficiency, and national emissions reductions while supporting policy frameworks that balance economic development with environmental protection.
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts (2009) Read MoreMarcellus Shale Gas: New Research Results Surprise Geologists!
New research results land like a jolt: updated estimates, revised risk, new measurements, better models. In the shale era, “new findings” often shift the argument overnight — especially when they touch methane leakage, groundwater pathways, or production forecasts. This entry is about the churn of evidence: studies that surprise, methods that get challenged, and the constant pressure to translate uncertain science into permits, policy, and public reassurance.
Source: Geology.com (2010) Read MoreVincent Alabama Confidential
Vincent Alabama Confidential, an Alabama-based blog by Max Shelby, covers environmental justice, political corruption, and corporate accountability. The site highlights issues such as environmental racism, regulatory failures, and the intersection of industry and state politics. Drawing on investigative links and commentary, Shelby argues that vulnerable communities often bear disproportionate environmental burdens, and calls for transparency, reform, and citizen engagement in addressing systemic inequities.
Source: Vincent Alabama Confidential (2011) Read MoreFebruary (2011)
What The Frack? Gas Industry’s Multimillion-Dollar Campaign Demonizes Hydraulic Fracturing Bill
As opposition mounted, gas companies launched multimillion-dollar public relations campaigns promoting shale as economic salvation and energy independence. Slick ads and sponsored studies emphasized jobs and lower prices. Critics countered with air samples and water tests. The messaging battle revealed a deeper reality: billions were at stake, and public perception mattered almost as much as geology.
Source: The Wonk Room (2009) Read MoreDo the natural gas industry’s surface water withdrawals pose a health risk?
FracTracker Alliance documents the scale of surface water withdrawals permitted for natural gas operations in Pennsylvania, warning that cumulative impacts may reduce stream flow and intensify pollution, particularly during dry seasons. Complementary research highlights the toxic and flammable nature of petrochemicals and notes the dramatic increase in water usage per unconventional well, underscoring the resource intensity and long-term health risks of shale development.
Source: Fractracker (2010) Read MoreBARDs “Big Mule” Drummond Coal Sued–Part II
On Martin Luther King Day (MLK Day Jan. 17, 2011), America deserves to be reminded that hard on the trail of King’s Civil Rights legacy in Alabama is the way Alabama’s poor have been victimized by negligent environmental law. The daily posts of Max Shelby and his group, blogging in Alabama about the environment, politics, big business and corruption, are some of the boldest independent voices writing in the U.S. on environmental justice today.
Source: Vincent Alabama Confidential (2010) Read MorePBS | Need to Know
In its August 27, 2010 Need to Know investigation, PBS correspondent John Larson, working in collaboration with ProPublica, examined claims by Wyoming residents that hydraulic fracturing was contaminating drinking water while regulators insisted they lacked jurisdiction on federal lands. The segment, “The Price of Gas,” highlighted tensions between citizen testimony and EPA oversight, and was briefly removed from the PBS website to clarify the energy-industry affiliations of members of an EPA peer review panel before being restored with edits.
Source: PBS.org (2010) Read MorePollution in Your Community
The environmental website Scorecard.org provided county-level pollution reports using data from the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, empowering citizens to track air, water, and chemical releases in their communities. Advocates warned that proposed reductions in TRI reporting requirements under the Environmental Protection Agency would limit public access to hazardous chemical disclosure, weakening a key transparency tool for public health and environmental accountability.
Source: Scorecard (2010) Read MoreIndustry responds to public take on hydraulic fracturing
…The fate of bills before Congress related to regulation of hydraulic fracturing is critically important. Congress exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2005, but a bill was introduced last summer to federally regulate hydraulic fracturing under the act.
Source: Hart Energy E & P (2010) Read MoreUnderground Injection of Gas Industry Brine Taking Off – State Journal – STATEJOURNAL.com
As millions of gallons of fracking “flowback” return to the surface in West Virginia, operators have increasingly shipped the heavy brine to Ohio for underground injection. According to state officials, disposal options remain limited, with only two permitted Class II wells handling waste locally. The logistical strain underscores a growing dilemma: while drilling accelerates across the Marcellus Shale, wastewater disposal infrastructure lags behind, raising questions about long-term environmental safeguards.
Source: The State Journal (2010) Read MoreU.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report (2010 Draft) | Climate Change – Greenhouse Gas Emissions | U.S. EPA
The EPA’s draft greenhouse gas inventory quantified methane and carbon dioxide emissions across sectors — including natural gas systems. Methane’s potency as a greenhouse gas sharpened attention on leaks from wells, pipelines, and compressor stations. The numbers reframed shale not just as local extraction, but as a climate variable.
Source: U. S. EPA Office of Atmospheric Programs (2006) Read MoreGraham Pulls Support for Major Senate Climate Bill
Senator Lindsey Graham withdrew support from a major Senate climate bill, fracturing a fragile bipartisan coalition. The setback stalled momentum for comprehensive climate legislation. Energy policy once again splintered along party lines, leaving regulatory authority to agencies and states.
Source: The New York Times (2010) Read MoreBirth of EPA
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), officially established on December 2, 1970 by President Richard Nixon, emerged from a decade of rising environmental awareness sparked in large part by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. As pollution crises mounted and public pressure intensified following the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Nixon created a strong, independent agency to unify federal air, water, pesticide, and radiation programs under Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus.
Source: EPA Journal (1985) Read MoreGlobal Warming Experts
Heartland Institute Conference held March 8-10th in New York at the Marriott New York Marquis Times Square Hotel, brought together scientists, economists, legal experts, and other climate specialists to “confront the issue of global warming.”
Source: The Heartland Institute | BBC News (2011) Read MoreAddressing the Environmental Risks from Shale Gas Development
Our analysis suggests that while shale gas development poses significant risks to the environment, including faulty well construction, blowouts, and above-ground contamination due to leaks and spills of fracturing fluids and waste water, technologies and best practices exist that can help manage these risks.
Source: Briefing Paper (2010) Read MoreFreedom of Information in the USA
There are probably no more important reforms to government than the ones that came with the passing of the Federal Freedom of Information (“FOI”) Act. The law recognized in no uncertain terms that if government is to be of the people, by the people and for the people, the decisions and actions of the government must be open for review by the people.
Source: IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) Journal (2002) Read MoreH2Oil: An Explanation of the Tar Sands in Alberta
The documentary H2Oil examines the environmental consequences of Alberta’s tar sands extraction. The film highlights the water-intensive process of oil sands production, the creation of tailings ponds containing toxic byproducts, and downstream health concerns reported by Indigenous communities. It situates oil sands development within broader debates over resource extraction, freshwater scarcity, public health, and regulatory oversight.
Source: Futurism Now (2010) Read MoreHydraulic Fracturing Applicability of the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act Science Advisory Board Discussion.
Debate over whether hydraulic fracturing falls under the Safe Drinking Water Act remains central to the regulatory framework governing shale. The statute’s exemptions — often referred to as the “Halliburton loophole” — limited federal oversight of underground injection practices, leaving primary authority to states.
Source: U.S. EPA (2010) Read MoreTree spiker : from Earth First! to lowbagging: my struggles in radical environmental action
In Tree Spiker: From Earth First! to Lowbagging: My Struggles in Radical Environmental Action, Mike Roselle recounts his evolution from Yippie provocateur to cofounder of Earth First! and the Rainforest Action Network, tracing decades of radical environmental activism from street theater to mountaintop-removal protests in Appalachia. Writing against the backdrop of federal drilling exemptions advanced under Vice President Dick Cheney and ongoing battles over hydraulic fracturing disclosure, Roselle situates non-violent civil disobedience as both moral response and strategic necessity in confronting coal, oil, and gas power structures.
Source: St. Martin's Press (2009) Read MoreMountaintop Removal
The documentary Mountaintop Removal, directed by Michael C. O’Connell, examines the human and ecological toll of strip-mining in West Virginia. Featuring activists such as Ed Wiley, Julia Bonds, and Maria Gunnoe, along with commentary from Jeff Goodell and Duke University scientists, the film exposes how mountaintop removal mining reshapes Appalachia’s landscape and water systems. It situates coal extraction within broader debates over corporate power, public health, and environmental justice.
Source: Haw River Films | IMDB (2007) Read MoreNew York State Attorney General: Oil & Gas Leases: Landowners’ Rights
The New York Attorney General examined the legality and fairness of oil and gas lease practices, including whether landowners received adequate disclosure. As lease offers proliferated, questions about transparency and consumer protection entered the legal arena.
Source: New York State (2008) Read Moreun-naturalgas.org
Un-naturalgas.org positioned itself as a clearinghouse for research challenging industry claims about hydraulic fracturing. The site compiled studies, regulatory filings, and firsthand accounts, arguing that the “natural” branding masked complex industrial processes. As marketing campaigns framed shale as clean and inevitable, critics built digital repositories to counter the narrative.
Source: un-naturalgas.org (2009) Read MoreWalter Hang’s Letter to DEC Commissioner Grannis Regarding Additional Natural Gas Hazards | Toxics Targeting
Environmental activist Walter Hang wrote directly to New York’s DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, challenging assumptions in the state’s drilling review process. The letter dissected regulatory language and risk modeling, urging caution before permitting high-volume fracturing. Sometimes oversight begins not with a lawsuit, but with a pointed letter.
Source: Toxics Targeting (2010) Read MoreHealth Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling In Texas
In Texas shale country, residents began reporting headaches, nosebleeds, respiratory trouble — symptoms they linked to nearby gas wells and compressor stations. Regulators cited limited data. Operators denied systemic harm. But families living downwind counted flares, truck traffic, and sleepless nights. As drilling accelerated, so did questions about what exactly communities were breathing — and who would prove it.
Source: NPR - Morning Edition (2009) Read MoreHow Should We Do the Mountain?: Who the heck is Calvin Tilman?
On a grassroots blog asking “How should we do the mountain?”, writers wrestled with development pressure in vulnerable terrain. Beneath the rhetoric lay a real tension: economic opportunity versus irreversible landscape change. Mountains are not abstractions — they hold water, wildlife corridors, tourism economies. When extraction proposals arrive, communities must decide whether “doing” the mountain means drilling it.
Source: How Should We Do the Mountain? (2010) Read MoreMeeting of Manhattan Community Board #3 held on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 6:30 at IS 131, 100 Hester Street
In a Manhattan community board meeting, residents debated resolutions opposing upstate drilling that could affect city water. The geography was layered: city dwellers weighing decisions made 100 miles north. The discussion showed how watershed politics collapse distance — what happens upstream echoes downstream.
Source: Manhattan Community Board #3 (2009) Read MoreMarcellus Shale Coalition
The Marcellus Shale Coalition emerged as the industry’s collective voice in Pennsylvania, promoting well-paying jobs, economic growth, regulatory consistency, and expanded development. Representing major operators and service firms, the coalition shaped public messaging and policy advocacy as drilling accelerated across the region. Critics argue that independent analyses have challenged some of the coalition’s economic claims and questioned whether projected benefits outweigh environmental and climate risks — debates that continue to shape responsible energy policy.
Source: Marcellus Shale Coalition (2010) Read MoreKeystone XL Pipeline – Issues
Our country’s need for energy is a top priority and oil is among the energy sources that will help us meet this need. An oil pipeline, known as the Keystone XL Pipeline, has been proposed by TransCanada Corporation to deliver oil from its source in Canada through Nebraska to refineries in Oklahoma and Texas.
Source: U.S. Senator Mike Johanns for the State of Nebraska (2010) Read MoreSplashdown!
“Splashdown!” chronicled moments when drilling runoff, wastewater disputes, or regulatory failures collided visibly with water systems. Whether metaphorical or literal, the title captured the fear that contamination travels downhill. In boom regions, disposal sites and treatment facilities multiplied. The concern wasn’t theoretical chemistry — it was whether what went into holding ponds might eventually reach rivers.
Source: Splashdown! (2010) Read MoreFight Over Gas Wells in Chief Logan Heads to Supreme Court
A dispute over gas wells beneath West Virginia’s Chief Logan State Park escalated to the state Supreme Court, pitting mineral rights holders against conservation concerns. At issue: whether drilling could proceed under protected public land. For residents and park advocates, the fight wasn’t abstract law — it was about whether a state park could become collateral in a mineral rights battle.
Source: West Virginia Highlands Voice (2010) Read MoreNatural gas: the commodity world’s ugly duckling
“Natural gas is the ugly duckling of the commodities,” said Ben Smith, president of First Enercast Financial, an information vendor serving energy markets.
Source: Marketwatch | Commodities Corner (2011) Read MoreJanuary (2011)
NETL: Secure & Reliable Energy Supplies
The National Energy Technology Laboratory promoted research aimed at securing domestic energy supplies through technological innovation. Supporters framed shale as strategic independence. Skeptics questioned whether security metrics accounted for environmental and climate costs. The framing of “reliability” carried more than engineering meaning.
Source: U.S. National Energy Policy Key Issues & Mandates (2010) Read MoreGlobal Warming Frequently Asked Questions
As debate over shale intensified, broader climate science entered the conversation. FAQs on global warming addressed atmospheric carbon, temperature trends, and mitigation pathways. The underlying tension lingered: if gas is cleaner than coal, is it a bridge — or a detour — in a warming world?
Source: Global Warming Frequently Asked Questions (2010) Read MoreNewsweek Greenwashes the Oil Lobby for Real
…At the same time as they talk big about going green, the oil barons have waged highly organized disinformation campaigns going back decades to prevent legislative efforts to combat climate change (
Source: FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) (2010) Read MoreWhat happened to climate change?
One of the most glaring omissions during Obama’s State of the Union address was the acknowledgement of climate change. As the Senate and House return to Capitol Hill both sides are gearing up to attack the existing tool in place to address greenhouse gases – the Clean Air Act…
Source: EnergyVox | Citizen Energy (2011) Read MoreWolfeNotes | On the Threshold of a Fracking Nightmare
New Jersey based blog, featuring excellent coverage of the September 2010 EPA public meeting in Binghamton, New York with photos, comments, and links.
Source: WolfeNotes.com (2010) Read MoreSuperior Well Services – Products – Fracturing Systems
Superior Well Services supplied fracturing equipment and services that enable high-pressure injection into shale formations. The technical apparatus — pumps, sand, chemical blends — forms the industrial core of hydraulic fracturing. Behind every well is a logistics network measured in trucks and tons.
Source: Superior Well Services - Products - Fracturing Systems (2010) Read MoreUnconventional Gas Shales: Development, Technology, and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service reports detailed the mechanics of unconventional shale development — horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing fluids, production decline curves. The technical primer underscored a reality: the shale revolution was engineered as much as it was discovered.
Source: U.S. Congress (2009) Read MoreGreers Ferry Lake Natural Gas Watch
Max Brantley highlights concerns raised by the Greers Ferry Lake Natural Gas Watch about the risks fracking poses to local water resources, including Greers Ferry Lake and the Lake Maumelle watershed. The post critiques political responses to pipeline spills and questions the transparency of Arkansas’s Rule B19, which purported to require full disclosure of fracking chemicals. Critics argue the rule amounts to a “magic trick,” allowing industry to appear accountable without meaningful disclosure.
Source: Facebook | Greers Ferry Lake Natural Gas Watch (2010) Read MoreSpectra Energy Watch
Pennsylvania based blog covering many of the economic and ethical impacts of gas drilling for the people who are living with it.
Source: Spectra Energy Watch (2010) Read MoreEPA Findings on Hydraulic Fracturing Deemed “Unsupportable”
EPA findings regarding hydraulic fracturing faced criticism from both industry and environmental advocates, who argued that certain conclusions were incomplete or methodologically flawed. The science itself became contested terrain. When federal findings are labeled “unsound,” confidence in oversight can erode quickly.
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists (2006) Read MoreOnshore Drilling Disasters Waiting to Happen: An Interview With ‘Gasland’ Director Josh Fox | The Nation
Theater and film director Josh Fox’s documentary Gasland traces the eastward march of shale drilling — a decade of blasting from the Rockies to Pennsylvania, now pressing into New York. At 37, Fox brings the eye of an experimental artist to a straightforward but urgent subject, blending social message with cinematic clarity. The result is less abstraction than confrontation: a film that helped turn fracking into a household word.
Source: The Nation (2010) Read MoreEnvironmental Dangers of Hydro-Fracturing
Bob Myers, an avid hiker, in Lock Haven, Pa., has become concerned that state forests are being freely leased to drilling firms, leading to clear-cutting of forests, sludge pits and risks of accidents.
Source: Lock Haven University (2010) Read More2010
December (2010)
Wind Power Backbone Sought Off Atlantic Coast
Google and a New York financial firm agreed to invest in a proposed $5 billion transmission backbone designed to connect future offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Seaboard. The 350-mile underwater cable, stretching from northern New Jersey to Norfolk, Virginia, could remove key obstacles to large-scale wind development and reshape the region’s electrical grid. Supporters argue the project would accelerate clean energy expansion while making offshore turbines economically viable and less visually intrusive.
Source: The New York Times (2010) Read MoreEditorial – A Decision Above Reproach | The Cornell Daily Sun
Peter Meinig, chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees and a former associate of a major natural gas company, was urged to recuse himself from any university decisions involving shale gas leasing. Critics argued that Cornell’s credibility — particularly in environmental research and public policy — could be undermined if leadership with industry ties influenced drilling-related land use decisions. The debate spotlighted governance, transparency, and conflicts of interest as Marcellus pressure mounted.
Source: Cornell Sun (2010) Read MoreConserveLand
ConserveLand advocates for land protection strategies in regions facing development pressure. Conservation easements, zoning decisions, and watershed protections become defensive tools when extraction interest rises. Preservation is often proactive — before leases are signed.
Source: ConserveLand (2010) Read MoreGas Wells Are Not Our Friends | Endless Mountains Visitors Guide: New Attraction in PA – Visit a Well Pad
In Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, critics pushed back against industry messaging that framed drilling as neighborly partnership. Rigs, compressor stations, and heavy truck traffic altered rural rhythms. Supporters pointed to royalties and tax revenue. Opponents saw landscapes carved by access roads and pipelines. The slogan made the divide explicit.
Source: Gas Wells Are Not Our Friends (2010) Read MoreHomeland Security in Cahoots with Fracking Gas Corporations
Leaked internal bulletins revealed that Pennsylvania’s Department of Homeland Security contracted a private intelligence firm to monitor anti-drilling activists, sparking public outrage and forcing Gov. Ed Rendell to apologize and cancel the agreement. The episode raised serious concerns about civil liberties, state surveillance, and the alignment of public agencies with natural gas industry interests.
Source: Workers World (2010) Read MoreU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): EPA Announces “Eyes on Drilling” Tipline.
The Environmental Protection Agency weighed how existing federal statutes applied to hydraulic fracturing — parsing authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. As pressure mounted from both industry and environmental groups, the EPA’s interpretations shaped whether certain practices required permits or fell through regulatory gaps.
Source: US EPA: “Eyes on Drilling” Tipline. (2010) Read MoreShaleshock
Shaleshock captures the upheaval unleashed by rapid shale development — economic spikes, social strain, environmental uncertainty. As drilling rigs multiply, communities wrestle with boomtown dynamics: housing shortages, infrastructure stress, divided neighbors. The shock isn’t only geological. It’s civic. The ground may hold gas, but the surface holds consequences.
Source: Shaleshock (2010) Read MoreMarcellus-Shale.us: Our look at the Halliburton Loophole – 2005 Energy Act
The so-called “Halliburton loophole” — language in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that exempted most hydraulic fracturing from the Safe Drinking Water Act — became a flashpoint. Critics argued the exemption removed federal oversight from underground injection practices. Supporters maintained states could regulate effectively. The loophole wasn’t just statutory text; it defined the regulatory boundary of a boom.
Source: Marcellus-Shale.us (2010) Read MoreGeo Animation: Marcellus Shale Permits in PA Over Time | Blog | Rhiza Labs
Animated permit maps of the Marcellus Shale reveal more than dots — they show acceleration. Permits cluster, then multiply, spreading across Pennsylvania county by county. Visualization transforms paperwork into movement. When mapped over time, the boom becomes kinetic.
Source: Rhiza Labs (2010) Read MoreExxon Confronts Nuns, Calpers Over Global Warming Plans, Boskin
Exxon confronted shareholder resolutions from Catholic nuns and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) over climate disclosure and long-term strategy. The religious orders argued that the company’s global warming plans failed to account for environmental and moral risk, while CalPERS — one of the nation’s largest public pension funds — framed climate exposure as a material financial concern. The pressure signaled a shift: climate risk had moved from protest lines into boardrooms and proxy votes.
Source: Bloomberg.com (2007) Read MoreU.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA Energy Kids – Natural Gas
Another institutional baseline from EIA, focused on definitions, data series, and the measurable backbone of the energy system. It’s the opposite of a press release: less persuasion, more structure. The hook is how quietly powerful standardized data can be — the charts that underpin policy arguments, investment claims, and forecasts. When someone says “energy independence,” EIA is where you check what that phrase actually means.
Source: Energy Information Administration (2010) Read MoreMarcellus Accountability Project (MAP)–Tompkins – News & Events
In Tompkins County, the Marcellus Accountability Project tracked permits, leases, and policy shifts tied to the Marcellus Shale. Local activists parsed dense filings and surfaced questions about health, zoning, and infrastructure strain. As landmen canvassed neighborhoods and lease bonuses circulated, MAP focused on accountability — asking who benefits, who bears risk, and who decides.
Source: MAP - Tompkins (2010) Read MoreProtect the Endless Mountains of Northeastern PA
In Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains region, conservation advocates warned that shale development could fracture more than rock formations. Forest corridors, streams, and tourism economies stood at risk. For residents who prized quiet landscapes, the debate wasn’t anti-progress — it was about whether some places should remain intact.
Source: Protect the Endless Mountains of Northeastern PA (2010) Read MoreRepublicans for Environmental Protection (REP America)
Republicans for Environmental Protection challenged the idea that conservation belonged to one party. As shale politics hardened along partisan lines, REP argued for water safeguards and responsible oversight grounded in stewardship, not ideology. Their presence complicated the narrative: support for environmental protection did not neatly map onto party identity — even in energy-producing states.
Source: Republicans for Environmental Protection (2010) Read MorePublic Supports Consumer and Environmental Protections, Polls Show
Americans overwhelmingly support government protection of the environment and consumers, a series of new polls shows. The findings come as efforts to enforce and expand regulation face increasingly hostile rhetoric from conservatives and industry representatives in Washington.
Source: OMB Watch (2010) Read MoreNovember (2010)
New York City Department of Environmental Protection: Briefing to the NYC Water Board on the Natural Gas Impact Assessment Project
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection oversees a watershed supplying drinking water to more than 9 million people. As Marcellus Shale drilling approached upstate reservoirs, NYCDEP entered the debate forcefully. When a city of that size signals risk, drilling is no longer rural policy — it becomes metropolitan infrastructure defense.
Source: City of New York (2009) Read MoreHalliburton’s Interests Assisted by White House – Los Angeles Times
In 2005, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, carving out a controversial exemption for hydraulic fracturing. The move—later dubbed the “Halliburton loophole”—removed federal oversight of underground injection practices central to the shale boom. Supporters framed it as regulatory clarity for domestic energy development; critics saw it as a quiet rollback of environmental protection with national consequences.
Source: Los Angeles Times (2004) Read MoreWATER | Aurora Lights. Public Health & Coal Slurry – Water Quality ::: Journey Up Coal River
In Appalachia, coal slurry impoundments loomed over communities — vast ponds of mining waste held back by earthen dams. Public health advocates warned of contamination risks and catastrophic failure. As energy extraction intensified across sectors, the conversation widened: shale gas wasn’t the first industry to promise prosperity while leaving water questions unresolved.
Source: Aurora Lights (2010) Read MoreNatural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) – The Earth’s Best Defense
The Natural Resources Defense Council combined litigation, scientific research, and policy advocacy to press for stricter oversight of drilling practices. Through lawsuits and regulatory commentary, NRDC positioned itself as a national counterweight to industry lobbying in the shale era.
Source: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (2010) Read MoreNatural Gas Industry Shills Use the Media to Mislead the Public – Here’s How to Spot Them
t r u t h o u t is a source of independent journalism focusing on under-covered issues and uncoventional thinking.
Source: t r u t h o u t (2010) Read MoreDrilling Wastewater Disposal Options in N.Y. Report Have Problems of Their Own – ProPublica
New York faced a practical question with massive implications: what do you do with the wastewater? Truck it? Treat it? Inject it? Store it? The choices sound technical until you scale them — volumes, routes, facilities, permits — and realize disposal is the hidden engine of the boom. This entry centers the downstream reality of fracking: what comes back up, where it goes, and which communities inherit the burden.
Source: ProPublica (2009) Read MoreToxFAQs™: Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide — a colorless gas with a rotten-egg odor — can be released during oil and gas operations. At high concentrations, it is dangerous; at lower levels, it can cause headaches and respiratory irritation. Toxicology sheets like this ground political debate in chemistry. What’s in the air matters.
Source: Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (2006) Read MoreHeartbreaking Stories Warn New Yorkers of What May Be in Store if the State OKs Controversial Gas Drilling
Pennsylvania families told New Yorkers what drilling looked like up close: truck traffic at dawn, compressor noise at night, leases signed in haste. As Albany weighed policy, their stories became cautionary testimony. Supporters touted jobs and tax revenue. Opponents carried photos and medical files. The debate wasn’t theoretical — it was a preview offered across state lines.
Source: AlterNet (2009) Read MoreWhat is the National Children’s Study?
The National Children’s Study will examine the effects of the environment, as broadly defined to include factors such as air, water, diet, sound, family dynamics, community and cultural influences, and genetics on the growth, development, and health of children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21 years.
Source: nationalchildrensstudy.gov (2008) Read MoreWestern Organization of Resource Councils (WORC)
Western Organization of Resource Councils is a regional network of seven grassroots community organizations that include 10,000 members and 45 local chapters. WORC helps its member groups succeed by providing training and coordinating issue work.
Source: Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) (2010) Read MoreGasland: Drilling Isn’t Safe
The advocacy site DrillingIsntSafe.org argues that hydraulic fracturing poses documented risks of drinking water contamination, air pollution, and chemical exposure, citing the 2010 documentary Gasland by Josh Fox as a catalyst for national awareness. The site critiques Energy in Depth—funded by the American Petroleum Institute—for attempting to counter the film’s claims, framing the public debate over fracking as a clash between industry public relations efforts and citizen-driven environmental accountability.
Source: Drilling Isn't Safe (2010) Read MoreN.Y. Democrat Fires Back at Obama Admin in Fight Over Shale Drilling
A leading congressional critic of shale drilling is scolding the Obama administration for failing to try to slow drilling in the Northeast’s Marcellus Shale.
Source: The New York Times | Greenwire (2010) Read MoreCatskill Mountainkeeper | Working Together to Protect the Catskills
In the Catskills — source of New York City’s unfiltered drinking water — Mountainkeeper advocates pressed for caution as the Marcellus Shale boom approached. The group tracked lease activity, organized residents, and scrutinized regulatory frameworks. For a watershed serving millions, the margin for error felt razor thin.
Source: Catskill Mountainkeeper (2008) Read MoreLand Board approves Otter Creek coal lease
“The state Land Board, undeterred by anti-mining protesters who disrupted the board’s Helena meeting for 45 minutes until they were arrested, voted 3-2 Thursday to approve leasing 570 million tons of state-owned coal for development of a mine in southeastern Montana’s Otter Creek Valley.
Source: Billings Gazette (2010) Read MoreWhat Lies Beneath
In a Texas Observer investigation into oilfield waste injection wells, high school art teacher Cecile Carson challenged the Railroad Commission of Texas after commissioners swiftly denied her protest against a proposed injection well near her Wise County property. The case highlights weak enforcement penalties—often capped at a few thousand dollars—and raises broader concerns about regulatory oversight of oil and gas waste disposal in Texas communities.
Source: The Texas Observer (2006) Read MoreOzone raises its ugly head in rural Utah
People who visited eastern Utah’s vast open spaces last winter might have thought they were doing their lungs a big favor by taking a deep breath of fresh, country air. But it turns out, they would have been better off going to Los Angeles or most other major cities.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune (2010) Read MoreColorado GOP to EPA: Keep your noses out of our fracking fluid
In July 2010, eighteen Republican members of the Colorado State Legislature sent a formal letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency demanding that the agency refrain from regulating hydraulic fracturing, regardless of what its two-year study might conclude. The dispute, reported by The Colorado Independent, revived debate over the “Halliburton loophole” advanced during Vice President Dick Cheney’s 2005 Energy Policy Act, as state lawmakers argued against federal oversight of fracking fluids and disclosure requirements while environmental advocates pressed for stricter Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act enforcement.
Source: The Colorado Independent (2010) Read MoreThe Costs of Natural Gas, Including Flaming Water
A critical examination of Josh Fox’s documentary Gasland, exploring fracking’s environmental and health impacts through vivid imagery and testimony from scientists and affected residents. The review weighs Fox’s emotional force against questions of investigative rigor, situating the film within the broader debate over regulation and watershed protection. Josh Fox’s documentary exposes hydraulic fracturing as a process that injects chemical-laced water deep underground, resulting in contamination so severe that tap water can ignite. Through personal stories and scientific testimony, the film frames fracking as an urgent public health and environmental crisis.
Source: The New York Times (2010) Read MoreBP Disaster Is Cheney’s Katrina
President Bush delivers his 2006 State of the Union address, where he famously stated that “America is addicted to oil.”
Source: Center for American Progress (2010) Read MoreBP Deal to Expand US Shale-Gas Operations
BP struck deals to expand its footprint in U.S. shale-gas operations, signaling that multinational oil majors saw unconventional gas as a strategic growth sector. Large-scale investment by global firms reframed shale from regional experiment to cornerstone of long-term portfolio strategy.
Source: Rigzone | Dow Jones Newswire (2010) Read MorePennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fact Sheet:Landowners and Oil and Gas Leases in Pennsylvania, Answers to questions frequently asked by landowners about oil and gas leases and drilling.
As shale drilling surged across Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection found itself under pressure — issuing permits, responding to complaints, and fielding accusations of understaffing. For residents reporting contaminated wells or methane migration, the DEP was the first call. For drillers, it was the regulator standing between delay and approval. Its capacity became part of the story.
Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Edward G. Rendell, Governor (2012) Read MoreNew York Land For Lease For Natural Gas Exploration
Organized in 2008, the Tioga County Landowners Group represents more than 1,600 families controlling over 111,000 acres in Tioga County, New York, with roughly 75,000 acres available for natural gas leasing. Formed to educate landowners about mineral rights opportunities amid the Marcellus Shale drilling boom, the coalition seeks a “fair and equitable” drilling partner while positioning itself as a ready participant in hydraulic fracturing development in upstate New York.
Source: Tioga County Landowners Group for the Tioga Gas Lease (2008) Read MoreOctober (2010)
Hazards posed by natural gas drilling are not limited to below ground
In a June 20, 2010 investigation for the Republican Herald, journalist Laura Legere reported that many of the most serious hazards from Marcellus Shale drilling occur above ground, including chemical storage, wastewater transport, and surface spills. Department of Environmental Protection records obtained through Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law revealed hundreds of violations involving at least 92 drilling companies, prompting DEP Secretary John Hanger to attribute repeated spills and methane leaks—particularly involving Cabot Oil & Gas—to poor management and inadequate oversight.
Source: Republican Herald (2010) Read MoreWest Virginia Blue: Dunkard Creek fish kill
The 2009 Dunkard Creek fish kill devastated a 38-mile ecosystem in West Virginia, wiping out more than 160 species of fish, mussels, salamanders and aquatic life. Investigators pointed to oil and gas drilling wastewater as the most likely cause, amid concerns about inadequate treatment capacity in the Marcellus Shale region. The disaster sparked outrage among local observers and raised urgent questions about wastewater management, regulatory oversight, and the environmental costs of rapid shale gas development.
Source: West Virginia Blue (2009) Read MoreDrilling Marcellus Shale: Unlimited Natural Gas Company Contributions to Pennsylvania Politicians
MarcellusMoney.org tracks political donations from fracking interests in Pennsylvania, documenting millions of dollars contributed to state candidates and party committees between 2007 and 2018. The site, supported by research from Common Cause Pennsylvania, exposes the financial ties between drilling companies and elected officials, framing shale gas development as not only an environmental issue but also a question of democratic accountability and the influence of corporate money in state politics.
Source: Marcellus Money (2010) Read MoreEnvironmental Defense Fund – Finding the Ways That Work
The Environmental Defense Fund focused on measurable methane leakage and pragmatic solutions, arguing that improved monitoring and technology could reduce emissions from natural gas systems. EDF’s approach emphasized data and collaboration, positioning methane control as both environmental necessity and operational opportunity.
Source: Environmental Defense Fund - Finding the Ways That Work (2010) Read MoreWatchdog: New York State Regulation of Natural Gas Wells Has Been “Woefully Insufficient for Decades.”
Watchdog reporting scrutinized New York’s regulatory approach to natural gas development as the state weighed whether to permit high-volume hydraulic fracturing. New York–based Toxics Targeting examined the Department of Environmental Conservation’s own spill database, identifying 270 documented cases over three decades involving fires, explosions, wastewater releases, well contamination, and ecological damage tied to gas drilling — many still unresolved. The findings challenged repeated assurances that existing regulations were sufficient to safeguard public health and the environment.
Source: Democracy Now! (2009) Read MoreU.S. Senate. (2007). Health Risks to Children and Communities From Recent EPA Proposals and Decisions on Air and Water Quality
A Senate report examining environmental health risks to children underscored how pollution exposure disproportionately affects the young. Though broader than shale alone, the findings amplified concerns about drilling near homes and schools. The health lens sharpened the stakes: policy decisions reverberate across generations.
Source: U.S. Senate, Committee on Environment and Public Works (2007) Read MoreCenter for Healthy Environments & Communities Homepage
The Center for Healthy Environments & Communities bridged research and public health, examining how environmental exposure intersects with community well-being. In drilling regions, health data becomes part of the evidence base — linking air, water, and lived experience through structured study rather than anecdote.
Source: Center for Healthy Environments & Communities Homepage (2010) Read MorePlan to send fracking wastewater near Keuka Lake is abandoned | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette
A contentious plan by Chesapeake Energy to convert an abandoned gas well in Pulteney, New York, into a deep-well wastewater disposal site near Keuka Lake is officially dead—though the company left the door open for similar facilities in the future. The proposal, which would have handled more than 180,000 gallons of Marcellus Shale fracking waste per day, drew opposition from local residents, Pulteney Town Supervisor Bill Weber, U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, and Walter Hang of Ithaca-based Toxics Targeting, who argued that grassroots resistance in the Finger Lakes influenced decisions before the EPA and the New York DEC.
Source: Ithaca Journal (2010) Read MoreExtraction-tax and campaign donations
Marcellus Shale Money Watch emerged as a transparency initiative urging Pennsylvania legislators to disclose campaign contributions from the natural gas industry during debates over extraction taxes. Partnering with advocacy groups such as Common Cause, the project highlighted loopholes in campaign finance reporting that allowed donations to remain undisclosed until after key votes. The broader effort reflects ongoing concerns about industry influence, political accountability, and the role of small-donor, citizen-funded election reforms in strengthening democratic governance.
Source: Philly.com (2010) Read MoreThe Hidden Costs of Clean Coal: Longwall Mining Documents
The Center for Public Integrity compiled a document archive supporting its investigation into longwall coal mining and its environmental and social impacts. Materials include state and federal records, environmental studies, legal agreements, landowner correspondence, and regulatory filings. The collection provides background documentation for reporting on subsidence damage, water contamination, and the regulatory framework governing coal extraction in affected communities.
Source: The Center for Public Integrity (2009) Read MoreFuturism Now
Futurism Now, a Minnesota-based blog by Shelly Thomas, examines energy policy, climate change, and environmental justice through news aggregation, commentary, and multimedia resources. Active since 2008, the site covers international energy issues, including tar sands development, climate science denial, and corporate political influence. It highlights environmental impacts such as water contamination, carbon emissions, and industrial extraction, while linking activism, investigative journalism, and grassroots advocacy.
Source: Futurism Now (2011) Read MoreSeptember (2010)
Gas industry approach would torpedo Barnett Shale study
In the Barnett Shale, industry leaders pushed regulatory changes critics warned would gut local oversight. Supporters framed it as streamlining. Opponents saw a rollback of hard-won protections. At stake: inspection authority, environmental review, and the balance of power between drillers and the communities hosting them. The fight wasn’t just about gas — it was about who sets the rules when billions are underground.
Source: Star-Telegram (2010) Read MoreShale Gas Costing 2/3 Less Than OPEC Oil Incites Water Concern
Shale gas priced at a fraction of OPEC crude ignited a drilling rush across the U.S., redrawing global energy math. Investors poured billions into horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing, betting on domestic abundance. As rigs multiplied, so did questions: could regulators keep pace? Cheap gas promised independence — but the speed of the boom raised stakes far beyond balance sheets.
Source: Bloomberg.com (2010) Read MoreWater All Around … Or is There? | Activist’s Corner
This report examines the overlooked strain fracking places on freshwater resources, focusing not only on methane leaks and well contamination but also on the large-scale withdrawal of surface water. Using examples from Pennsylvania, including lawsuits in Dimock, the article raises concerns that hydrofracturing may be depleting and degrading critical water supplies, adding another dimension to the environmental and public health debate.
Source: Workers World (2010) Read MoreClimate Ground Zero
Climate Ground Zero relocated to West Virginia in 2009 to support residents opposing mountaintop removal at Coal River Mountain. Working alongside Mountain Justice and local activists, the campaign organized nonviolent civil resistance after clear-cutting began. Despite widespread opposition among West Virginians, activists argue that both the EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection failed to halt coal industry destruction, leading to over 150 arrests in ongoing direct actions.
Source: Climate Ground Zero (2009) Read MoreObama’s gifts to extractive industries continue with defense of Bush mining policy
In April 2010, Earthworks criticized the Obama administration for defending a Bush-era policy allowing unlimited toxic mine waste dumping on public lands, arguing the move contradicted stated commitments to environmental reform. The organization framed the decision as another example of federal policy favoring extractive industries over water protection, public lands stewardship, and community health.
Source: Earthworks (2010) Read MoreIndustry campaign targets ‘hydraulic fracturing’ bill
As House Democrats explored new oversight of hydraulic fracturing, an industry coalition called Energy in Depth launched a campaign warning that regulation would kill jobs and harm the economy. Reported in the New York Times by Anne C. Mulkern, the effort illustrated how shale politics had become a high-stakes battle over narrative—economic growth versus environmental protection—at a moment when domestic gas production was rapidly expanding.
Source: The New York Times: Greenwire (2009) Read MoreGas Drillers Plead Guilty to Felony Dumping Violations
Two operators associated with Swamp Angel Energy pleaded guilty to felony violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act after unlawfully injecting 200,000 gallons of brine into an abandoned well near the Allegheny National Forest. The case marked a rare instance of criminal enforcement in the fracking boom, underscoring concerns that routine fines often failed to deter serious contamination risks linked to oil and gas wastewater disposal.
Source: ProPublica (2010) Read MoreIQS (Info Quick Solutions, Inc.) – Search Cortland County
Online court record systems allowed citizens and attorneys to track lawsuits tied to drilling operations — contract disputes, contamination claims, regulatory challenges. Transparency in dockets revealed how frequently energy development intersected with litigation. The public record became part of the accountability mechanism.
Source: Cortland County: Search Public Records (2025) Read MoreRainforest Action Network
The Rainforest Action Network warned that President Barack Obama’s EPA remained too aligned with coal interests after approving a mountaintop removal permit in Logan County, West Virginia. That warning gained urgency when, in September 2009, 161 aquatic species were wiped out along 38 miles of Dunkard Creek after coal-mine discharges created high conductivity levels that allowed toxic golden algae to flourish. Though state regulators had approved cleanup plans, the EPA later acknowledged additional enforcement might be necessary as restoration costs were estimated at $30 million.
Source: Rainforest Action Network (2009) Read MoreNew York Well Watch Forum
The New York Well Watch Forum gathered residents monitoring proposed drilling near the state’s drinking water supply. Members shared test results, regulatory filings, and personal observations — building a citizen archive of vigilance. As Albany debated whether to allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing, the forum functioned as both clearinghouse and early-warning system.
Source: Google Groups: New York Well Watch Forum (2010) Read MoreWhat Landowners Need to Know About Oil and Gas Wells
For landowners approached with lease offers, the fine print mattered — royalty percentages, surface use clauses, indemnification language. What looks like a bonus check can bind property for decades. Attorneys and advocates urged landowners to understand drilling rights, water access, and restoration terms before signing. In shale regions, a single signature can reshape a family’s land for a generation.
Source: NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (2008) Read MoreNYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC): Marcellus Shale
New York’s DEC oversaw the state’s environmental review process as officials weighed whether to permit high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Draft impact statements, public comment periods, and regulatory revisions unfolded under intense scrutiny. The agency’s findings would determine whether the Marcellus boom crossed the state line.
Source: NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (2015) Read MoreAugust (2010)
Carnegie Mellon University: Shale-Gas Production – New Water Cleaning Treatment
Carnegie Mellon researchers examined lifecycle emissions and climate implications of shale-gas production, modeling methane leakage and energy substitution scenarios. Their findings fed into the broader “bridge fuel” debate: does gas meaningfully reduce carbon intensity, or do upstream leaks undermine its advantage?
Source: Carnegie Mellon: Shale Gas Production (2010) Read MoreRiverkeeper – NY’s Clean Water Advocate
Riverkeeper, a member-supported watchdog organization, has documented and litigated contamination linked to gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, including investigations in Dimock, Pennsylvania. Through river patrols, public education, and legal action, the group frames fracking as a long-term threat to drinking water security and ecological integrity across the Hudson watershed and beyond.
Source: Riverkeeper - NY's Clean Water Advocate (2020) Read MoreCommonwealth of Pennsylvania DEP takes aggressive enforcement action against Cabot Oil
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection signaled a more aggressive enforcement posture amid rising complaints of water contamination and methane migration. Civil penalties, consent orders, and permit reviews followed. The regulator’s stance suggested that rapid expansion had outpaced earlier assumptions.
Source: State of Pennsylvania (2010) Read MoreU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program | UIC | US EPA
Underground injection rules determine how fluids — including drilling wastes — can be disposed of beneath the surface. As shale wastewater volumes increased, so did scrutiny of injection wells and seismic risks. Federal guidance and state enforcement became central to managing what happens after the fracking trucks leave.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2010) Read MoreBlackout in the Gas Patch: Blackout Case Study 4 – Angel and Wayne Smith
(Editor’s Note, 15 Dec 2024. The original item is no longer available on the web. The former title of this piece was: Natassaja Noell. Gas drilling and toxic terrorists: New York City Mayor says risks of gas drilling “unacceptable”. 23 Mar 2010.
Source: Earthworks(2014) Read MoreTainted Water Spurs Evacuations
“Hundreds of people living near a natural-gas drilling site in northwest Louisiana have been forced to evacuate their homes after gas seeped into their drinking water.
Source: The Wall St. Journal | wsj.com (2010) Read MoreWATER: Judge overturns Montana water rules for gas drilling
A federal judge has overturned water quality rules that were meant to protect southeastern Montana cropland from natural gas drilling but were assailed by Wyoming as a threat to energy production.
Source: Billings Gazette (2009) Read MoreWATER: In the West, a Water Fight Over Quality, Not Quantity
It is a strange fight, Montana ranchers say. Raising cattle here in the parched American outback of eastern Montana and Wyoming has always been a battle to find enough water.
Source: The New York Times (2006) Read MoreEditorial – The risks of fracking | Philadelphia Inquirer
A March 22, 2010 Philadelphia Inquirer editorial noted the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s claim that hydraulic fracturing had never contaminated groundwater, while acknowledging environmental risks and New York’s drilling moratorium. What followed was a pointed public exchange: commenters such as Jim Barth challenged industry timelines, cited EPA whistleblower Westin Wilson and ProPublica’s Abrahm Lustgarten, and questioned chemical disclosure, regulatory exemptions, and cumulative impacts on Pennsylvania watersheds.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (2010) Read MoreWSKG Community Conversation-Marcellus
Frequencies and Channels for WSKG TV, radio stations WSKG and WSKG Classical position it on New York State’s Southern Tier and Northern Pennsylvania, right in the Marcellus Shale.
Source: WSKG (2009) Read MoreResidents near gas leak still live in fear
Long after the headlines fade, the anxiety lingers. Families living near gas infrastructure describe ongoing health worries, property concerns, and distrust of official reassurances. The story underscores how the costs of extraction are often borne by communities far from corporate boardrooms.
Source: Chagrin Valley Times, The Solon Times, The Geauga Times Courier (2009) Read MorePoliticians choose sides in Marcellus Shale drilling debate
As drilling expanded across the Marcellus region, elected officials split along economic and environmental lines. Promises of jobs and tax revenue competed with warnings about water contamination and landscape fragmentation. The shale boom reshaped not only terrain, but political alliances.
Source: Press & Sun-Bulletin: pressconnects.com (2009) Read MorePennsylvania plans more gas drilling regulation | Reuters
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell proposed tighter oversight of Marcellus Shale drilling, requiring companies to restore contaminated water supplies, report gas migration, and use oilfield-grade cement casings. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection added 68 inspectors, bringing the total to 188. Meanwhile, drillers applied for 5,200 permits—nearly triple 2009 levels—accelerating development across two-thirds of Pennsylvania and neighboring states.
Source: Reuters (2010) Read MoreWestern PA landowners regret deep gas wells deals
In Washington County, Pennsylvania, farmer Ron Gulla and horse farm owner Joyce Mitchell say their excitement over gas leases turned to regret after two years of heavy drilling activity near their properties. Reporting in The River Reporter, residents described methane bubbling into drinking wells and ponds. Gulla warned that landowners should obtain costly baseline water tests before drilling begins, underscoring the risks facing rural communities amid Marcellus Shale development.
Source: The River Reporter - Online (2010) Read MoreWDUQNews: Marcellus Shale
At Pittsburgh’s NPR station WDUQ, coverage of the Marcellus Shale highlighted Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley’s visit to Talisman Energy’s U.S. headquarters in Warrendale, where he promoted the economic benefits of expanded drilling under Gov. Tom Corbett’s advisory committee. But critics questioned the use of selective statistics and booster rhetoric, arguing that public officials were overselling job creation while minimizing environmental risk in Pennsylvania’s rapidly expanding shale boom.
Source: DUQ 90.5 FM (2011) Read MoreUse of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law – washingtonpost.com
In the Washington Post, Lyndsey Layton reported that nearly 20 percent of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use are shielded from public disclosure under a little-known federal provision. The Environmental Protection Agency allows companies to keep identities secret, leaving consumers and regulators in the dark. As hydraulic fracturing expands nationwide, critics warn that this chemical secrecy undermines public trust and limits meaningful oversight of substances injected underground.
Source: Washington Post (2010) Read MoreU.S. finds water polluted near gas-drilling sites
In a Reuters investigation, Jon Hurdle reported that U.S. government scientists found chemical contaminants in drinking water wells near gas drilling operations in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The findings marked the first federal confirmation linking pollution concerns to hydraulic fracturing sites. For residents who had long complained of tainted water, the announcement intensified fears that drilling near homes could carry health consequences beyond what regulators had publicly acknowledged.
Source: Reuters (2009) Read MorePennsylvania Orders Cabot Oil and Gas to Stop Fracturing in Troubled County – ProPublica
After three chemical spills in nine days, Pennsylvania regulators ordered Cabot Oil and Gas to suspend hydraulic fracturing operations in Susquehanna County pending review. The Department of Environmental Protection cited ongoing environmental concerns and prior violations. The temporary halt signaled escalating tension between state oversight and aggressive shale development, as communities pressed for stronger enforcement amid a surge in drilling activity.
Source: ProPublica (2009) Read MoreOur Towns: A Land Rush Is Likely, So a Lawyer Gets Ready
Across upstate communities, the Marcellus Shale boom promised economic revival—lucrative leases for landowners and revenue for state government. Yet thousands of wells using high-volume slickwater fracturing injected millions of gallons of chemically treated water deep underground. As reports detailed substances like benzene and toluene in drilling fluids, residents grappled with a defining question: would the gas rush bring prosperity, or expose long-term environmental costs?
Source: The New York Times (2008) Read MoreMeanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Writing in The Nation, Eyal Press traced the evolution of federal natural gas policy from the Clinton administration’s balanced expansion to the Bush administration’s push to remove drilling restrictions on public lands. The article framed shale development not simply as an energy story but as a political shift in regulatory philosophy—one with implications for environmental protection, public land stewardship, and the accelerating push toward fossil fuel extraction.
Source: The Nation (2004) Read MoreLouisiana tells EPA that it should let Congress handle greenhouse gas regulation
Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rescind its finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health, arguing that Congress—not regulators—should set climate policy. Reported by Mark Schleifstein in The Times-Picayune, the dispute reflected broader national resistance to federal climate oversight, even as scientific consensus around emissions and long-term environmental risk continued to solidify.
Source: NOLA.com | Times-Picayune (2009) Read MoreFrack Fluid Spill in Dimock Contaminates Stream, Killing Fish – ProPublica
Pennsylvania environmental officials were racing to contain up to 8,000 gallons of hazardous drilling fluid after a series of spills at a natural gas site near Dimock. The incident, in a community already shadowed by water contamination fears, reignited scrutiny of high-volume fracking practices and regulatory oversight. As cleanup crews worked, residents questioned whether enforcement could keep pace with the accelerating Marcellus Shale boom.
Source: ProPublica (2009) Read MoreEditorial – Shale and Our Water – NYTimes.com
The New York Times editorial board questioned whether high-volume hydraulic fracturing had outpaced the science meant to protect drinking water. With millions of gallons injected per well and incomplete disclosure of chemicals, the piece pressed regulators to ensure that energy expansion did not compromise aquifers and public health.
Source: The New York Times (2009) Read MoreNatural Gas Drilling: What We Don’t Know
ProPublica examined the unanswered scientific questions surrounding fracking’s long-term impacts. With limited federal oversight and patchwork state regulation, researchers and residents alike confronted a troubling reality: large-scale shale development was advancing faster than independent study could verify its safety.
Source: ProPublica (2009) Read MoreGas Drilling Techniques Under Fire … Again
According to the Environmental Working Group, drilling companies are sidestepping federal permitting requirements for diesel fuel in fracturing fluids by substituting similar petroleum distillates that contain the same toxic compounds — but require no permit. The report argues that this regulatory workaround exploits a loophole in post-2005 oversight, raising fresh concerns about chemical disclosure and enforcement under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Source: NYTimes.com: Green | A Blog About the Environment (2010) Read MoreShale’s a curse and blessing for natural gas Commodities Corner – MarketWatch
Natural gas prices plunged as the shale boom unlocked vast reserves, undercutting OPEC oil and flooding U.S. markets. Energy firms hailed the surge as a breakthrough — until oversupply slashed profits and rattled investors. What looked like liberation from foreign oil became a volatility trap at home. The same drilling frenzy that promised dominance began squeezing the companies that sparked it.
Source: Marketwatch (2010) Read MoreWATER: Hundreds turn out to oppose wastewater facility – Corning, NY – The Corning Leader
Hundreds packed a public meeting to challenge a proposed wastewater treatment facility meant to handle drilling runoff. Residents worried about contaminants, truck convoys, and what might slip through filtration. Officials argued the plant would manage an unavoidable byproduct of the boom. But the turnout signaled something deeper: communities refusing to be quiet endpoints for an industry’s leftovers.
Source: Corning Leader (2010) Read MorePeople that no one is helping
Elizabeth Berkowitz chronicled families who said drilling changed everything — air quality, property values, even their health — while regulators and companies pointed elsewhere. Complaints lingered unanswered. The people living nearest the wells described isolation more than outrage: feeling small beside billion-dollar operators and distant agencies. In the rush to extract gas, some residents wondered who, exactly, was responsible for them.
Source: Faces of Frackland Read MoreGas wells’ leftovers may wash into Ohio | Columbus Dispatch Politics
Waste from gas wells — brine, drilling muds, chemical residues — risked washing into Ohio waterways, raising alarms about downstream impacts. As disposal sites filled and storms rolled through, environmental groups pressed for stronger oversight. State officials weighed the evidence. The leftovers of the shale boom weren’t just industrial details; they traveled with gravity and rain.
Source: Columbus Dispatch Politics (2010) Read MoreBuried Secrets: Is Natural Gas Drilling Endangering U.S. Water Supplies?
Investigative reporter Abrahm Lustgarten examined whether hydraulic fracturing posed risks to underground water supplies long assumed safe. Internal documents, field reports, and federal hesitations suggested a murkier picture than public assurances implied. At stake: aquifers serving millions. The promise of cleaner-burning fuel collided with a quieter question — what happens if the contamination is slow, invisible, and hard to prove?
Source: ProPublica (2008) Read MorePennsylvania State officials seek more oversight of gas drilling
As permits surged, Pennsylvania officials moved to tighten oversight of shale operations — reviewing casing standards, inspection capacity, and enforcement authority. The boom had outrun the rulebook. Lawmakers faced pressure from both drillers and residents, each warning of different risks. The state’s challenge was clear: regulate a rapidly expanding industry without halting the economic engine it had unleashed.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (2010) Read MoreFort Worth Weekly: Perilous Profits
In Fort Worth, gas royalties flowed — and so did complaints. The Weekly examined how profits from the Barnett Shale boom intersected with allegations of air pollution, property damage, and regulatory gaps. For some landowners, lease checks meant windfall. For others, the costs felt closer to home. The question lingered: who bears the risk when extraction becomes neighborhood business?
Source: Fort Worth Weekly (2007) Read MoreNorthern Rockies Rising Tide
Northern Rockies Rising Tide organizes grassroots resistance to fossil fuel expansion across Montana and neighboring states. Activists stage protests, train volunteers, and scrutinize pipeline routes and drilling permits. Their strategy blends direct action with community education. In a region defined by wide skies and long distances, the group insists that remote landscapes still demand vigilant defense.
Source: Northern Rockies Rising Tide (2010) Read MoreWATER | Clean Water | TakePart Social Action Network: Important Issues, Activism, Environmental, Human Rights, Political News
TakePart’s social action network framed clean water not as abstraction but as mobilization — petitions, local campaigns, shared research. As drilling pushed toward major watersheds, activists used digital platforms to connect scattered communities. The stakes were immediate: rivers, aquifers, drinking supplies serving millions. The question wasn’t whether water mattered — it was how quickly citizens could organize before permits were signed.
Source: TakePart Social Action Network (2010) Read MoreWest Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization (WVSORO)
In West Virginia, surface owners — often distinct from mineral rights holders — organized to protect property, water access, and negotiation leverage. When drilling rigs appeared on land families had farmed for generations, legal complexity collided with lived experience. The organization worked to clarify contracts and defend surface protections in a state where extraction runs deep in history.
Source: West Virginia Surface Owners' Rights Organization (WVSORO) (2008) Read MoreSustainable Otsego
In upstate New York, Sustainable Otsego organized residents concerned about proposed drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The group hosted forums, tracked leases, and pressed local officials to consider long-term environmental impacts. As rural counties weighed lease bonuses against watershed protection, Sustainable Otsego insisted sustainability required more than short-term revenue.
Source: Sustainable Otsego (2013) Read MoreClean Water Not Dirty Drilling
“Clean Water Not Dirty Drilling” became both slogan and organizing banner for activists opposing hydraulic fracturing near critical water supplies. The framing was simple but pointed: if water is nonnegotiable, drilling must meet a higher standard — or be rejected. Rallies and petitions amplified the message as policy decisions approached.
Source: Clean Water Not Dirty Drilling (2010) Read MoreSierra Club Finger Lakes Group Gas Information Page
The Sierra Club’s Finger Lakes chapter compiled local data on gas development proposals in central New York. From watershed maps to permit summaries, the page equipped residents with tools to engage regulators. As the Marcellus debate intensified statewide, the group aimed to ground the conversation in regional facts and familiar landscapes.
Source: Sierra Club (2009) Read MorePetition Site: Ban Natural Gas Drilling in New York State
As Albany weighed whether to permit high-volume hydraulic fracturing, online petitions gathered signatures urging a statewide ban. Supporters argued the risks to drinking water and rural character outweighed promised gains. The petition movement signaled something larger: shale policy was no longer confined to regulatory agencies — it had become a public referendum.
Source: Care2 Petition Site (2019) Read MoreIt’s Getting Hot In Here: Keeping (and Calculating) Tabs on Gas Drilling
As shale gas was promoted as a “bridge fuel,” analysts and activists revisited the math: how much carbon can the atmosphere absorb before climate thresholds are crossed? The debate shifted from local wells to global limits. If carbon budgets are finite, the question becomes stark — which reserves stay underground?
Source: It's Getting Hot in Here (2010) Read MoreLove Canal 2020
“Love Canal 2020” evoked the infamous New York toxic waste disaster as a warning: environmental crises often unfold slowly before erupting into national scandal. The comparison suggested a future headline no one wants — contamination recognized only after years of denial. History, the piece implied, does not repeat itself quietly.
Source: Love Canal 2020 (2010) Read MorePenn Future – Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future: Working to Protect Pennsylvania’s Environment and Economy
PennFuture mobilized legal and policy expertise to challenge permits, advocate for watershed protection, and press for stronger enforcement as Marcellus development accelerated. Through litigation and legislative work, the organization positioned itself at the intersection of environmental law and civic engagement in a state reshaped by shale.
Source: Penn Future (2011) Read MoreIncite: An independent advocate for the environment. | Gas Pains
Incite offered commentary and analysis independent of party lines, scrutinizing environmental decisions tied to energy development. As drilling debates hardened into ideological camps, independent voices aimed to unpack data, challenge assumptions, and keep public focus on long-term ecological stakes.
Source: Audobon Magazine (2010) Read MoreBreathing is Political – Natural Gas Leases/Hydraulic Fracturing: One Property Owner’s View
“Breathing Is Political” framed air quality as more than science — it was policy, power, and proximity. When leases bring wells close to homes and schools, residents argue that the air itself becomes contested terrain. The title underscores a blunt reality: environmental exposure is shaped by decisions made in hearing rooms.
Source: Breathing is Political (2009) Read MoreNew York Gas Lease, formerly Pass Gas Now
As New York deliberated over high-volume hydraulic fracturing, online forums evolved — from pro-leasing enthusiasm to broader debate platforms. The shift in name signaled something: what began as a push to “pass gas now” transformed into a more complex conversation about contracts, moratoria, and the future of rural land.
Source: New York Gas Lease (2011) Read MoreDrill here, drill now, pay less : a handbook for slashing gas prices and solving our energy crisis
Echoing the slogan popularized by political figures like Newt Gingrich, “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” framed expanded domestic drilling as a direct path to lower energy prices. The handbook distilled an argument that resonated nationally during high gas-price cycles. Critics countered that global oil markets and production timelines rarely bend to slogans.
Source: Regnery Pub. (2008) Read MoreRed Lodge Clearinghouse – Oil and Gas Resource Development
Red Lodge Clearinghouse compiled legal resources for communities confronting oil and gas development in the West. From surface rights disputes to environmental review procedures, the clearinghouse translated complex statutes into tools citizens could use. In regions where extraction reshaped landscapes, access to legal knowledge became leverage.
Source: Red Lodge Clearinghouse (2008) Read MorePriscilla Summers v. Earth Island Institute Supreme Court Decision : ACOEL
In Priscilla Summers v. Earth Island Institute, legal arguments reached the U.S. Supreme Court over environmental standing — who has the right to sue when ecological harm is alleged. Though not limited to shale, the case shaped the terrain for future challenges to drilling permits and federal oversight. Standing doctrine can determine whether environmental claims are heard at all.
Source: American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) (2009) Read MorePenn State Law – Natural Gas Exploration Online Resources
Penn State Law launched an online resource tracking legal developments tied to natural gas exploration — statutes, court rulings, and regulatory updates. As shale transformed Pennsylvania’s economy, the legal framework evolved in real time. The site became a clearinghouse for those trying to keep up with precedent and policy.
Source: Penn State Law - The Dickinson School of Law (2010) Read MoreNortheast Ohio faction fights uphill battle over oil and gas well drilling laws | cleveland.com
In Northeast Ohio, local activists mounted opposition to drilling proposals, arguing for stricter oversight and community control. Facing state preemption laws and industry influence, the fight was uphill — both legally and politically. Yet resistance persisted, rooted in concerns about water, waste injection, and seismic activity.
Source: The Plain Dealer (2009) Read MoreMarcellus Shale Development : Toxic Tort Litigation Blog
As drilling expanded across Pennsylvania and neighboring states, toxic tort claims followed — lawsuits alleging groundwater contamination, methane migration, and chemical exposure. Plaintiffs sought damages for health impacts and property loss. Defendants contested causation and baseline conditions. In these cases, geology met civil procedure, and the burden of proof carried enormous weight.
Source: Toxic Tort Litigation Blog (2010) Read MoreU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Private Drinking Water Wells
As the EPA proposed new guidance or rule adjustments affecting drilling oversight, stakeholders mobilized. Public comment periods filled with submissions from industry groups, environmental advocates, and private citizens. Proposed rules are not final decisions — but they mark moments when policy direction becomes visible.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Private Drinking Water Wells (2010) Read MoreU.S. Senate: Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Drinking Water: Risks to Human Health and the Environment”
In Senate subcommittee hearings, lawmakers questioned agency officials and industry representatives about drilling practices, emissions, and regulatory authority. These sessions translated local complaints and scientific findings into federal inquiry — recorded, transcribed, and archived.
Source: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment (2010) Read MoreU.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) – Oil And Gas Development: Increased Permitting Activity Has Lessened the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Ability to Meet Its Environmental Protection Responsibilities
The GAO examined how oil and gas leasing and oversight were administered on public lands — auditing whether agencies collected fair royalties and enforced regulations effectively. When billions in public resources are at stake, oversight becomes more than paperwork. It becomes accountability for taxpayers.
Source: U.S. GAO (2005) Read MoreScalise: EPA Declares CO2 a Dangerous Pollutant Based on “Climate Gate’s” Corrupt Science
Congressman Steve Scalise criticized the EPA’s determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health, arguing it threatened economic growth. The endangerment finding opened the door to federal regulation of carbon emissions. What the agency framed as science-based necessity, opponents framed as regulatory overreach.
Source: Congressman Steve Scalise Representing the 1st of Louisiana (2009) Read MoreScalise: Cap-and-Trade Hinders Job Growth
Opposition to cap-and-trade legislation crystallized around economic arguments — warnings of higher energy prices and job losses. As climate policy proposals advanced, energy development and employment figures became central talking points. The debate fused atmospheric science with recession-era anxiety.
Source: Congressman Steve Scalise Representing the 1st of Louisiana (2010) Read MoreSenators Want to Bar E.P.A. Greenhouse Gas Limits
A group of senators moved to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, arguing climate rules exceeded the agency’s mandate. The proposal reflected a broader clash over separation of powers: should carbon limits originate in Congress or through agency interpretation of existing law?
Source: The New York Times (2010) Read MoreNYCDEP Calls for Prohibition on Drilling in the New York City Watershed
NYCDEP urged a prohibition on high-volume hydraulic fracturing within the city’s watershed, warning that filtration avoidance — a rare federal status — depended on pristine source water. One contamination event could trigger billions in treatment costs. The position reframed drilling as a fiscal as well as environmental gamble.
Source: NYC Environmental Protection (2009) Read MoreU.S. Senator Boxer to Hold Press Conference on Murkowski Proposal to Overturn EPA Global Warming Endangerment Finding
Senator Barbara Boxer announced hearings and press conferences examining environmental impacts tied to drilling and climate policy. In Washington, oversight often begins with a microphone and a witness list. Public scrutiny signals that technical disputes have reached the political stage.
Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (2010) Read MoreEcocide in the USSR : health and nature under siege
The term “ecocide” evokes systemic environmental destruction — landscapes degraded not by accident but by policy and industrial priority. Examining ecological collapse in the former USSR provides a historical mirror: when environmental safeguards erode, damage accumulates quietly until it becomes generational. Energy policy is never purely economic.
Source: BasicBooks (1993) Read MoreNew York State Water Resources Institute
The New York State Water Resources Institute supports research on watershed management and water quality across the state. As Marcellus development loomed, baseline studies and hydrological monitoring gained urgency. Without baseline data, change cannot be measured.
Source: NYS.WRI (2010) Read MoreCabot Oil & Gas’s Marcellus Drilling to Slow After PA Environment Officials Order Wells Closed
Cabot Oil & Gas signaled plans to slow Marcellus drilling activity amid market pressures and regulatory scrutiny. Production decisions reflect more than geology — they respond to commodity prices, infrastructure constraints, and public controversy. Even major operators adjust course when conditions shift.
Source: ProPublica (2010) Read MoreCovalent Energy
Covalent Energy operated as a smaller-scale developer in the unconventional gas space, navigating leasing, financing, and drilling logistics. Independent firms often act as explorers and consolidators before larger players enter.
Source: Covalent Energy (2010) Read MoreExxon, XTO Probably Won’t Face U.S. Fracturing Rules, FBR Says – Bloomberg.com
Following ExxonMobil’s acquisition of XTO Energy, analysts suggested the merged giant was unlikely to face sweeping new federal restrictions on hydraulic fracturing. The deal signaled that shale had moved from regional gamble to global asset class. When a supermajor commits billions, regulatory bets are embedded in the transaction.
Source: Bloomberg.com (2010) Read MoreExxon-Xto Deal Forces Congress to Reconsider Natural Gas
Rex Tillerson — a former tuba player in the University of Texas Longhorn Band who once supplied the band’s bottom register — would later rise to become ExxonMobil’s CEO. In global energy markets, he built a reputation as a disciplined negotiator, forging high-level relationships including with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. When Exxon moved to acquire XTO Energy, doubling down on U.S. shale, the scale of the bet drew renewed congressional attention to natural gas policy and market concentration. When a supermajor commits billions, energy independence narratives and oversight frameworks shift with it. Scale reshapes politics.
Source: The New York Times : Climatewire (2010) Read MoreUniversal Well Services, Inc.
Universal Well Services provided hydraulic fracturing crews and high-pressure pumping equipment, operating largely behind the scenes of the shale boom. Service companies supply the industrial horsepower that makes unconventional drilling possible, translating geology into production through logistics and scale. Critics argue that the extraction method itself — hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — poses hazards to groundwater drinking supplies, placing technical capacity and environmental risk in direct conversation.
Source: Universal Well Services (2010) Read MoreOil150, 1859-2009: Celebrating the Story- Progress from Petroleum
The Oil150 program marked 150 years since the first commercial oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania in 1859. Celebratory events traced the arc from Titusville’s wooden derricks to modern shale pads. The commemoration linked historic petroleum origins to contemporary extraction — a reminder that today’s boom rests on a century-and-a-half industrial lineage. Yet alongside celebration, critics point to documented cases of regulatory lapses and community health concerns tied to contaminated drinking water and air pollution in drilling regions.
Source: Oil150, 1859-2009: Celebrating the Story- Progress from Petroleum (2010) Read MoreExxon Mobil Corporation
ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy companies, expanded its unconventional portfolio through major acquisitions and strategic positioning in shale basins. With global capital and political influence, Exxon’s moves reverberate beyond individual wells. When Exxon commits, markets, lawmakers, and competitors take notice.
Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation (2010) Read MoreTalisman Energy USA Inc. – Home
Talisman Energy entered U.S. shale plays with significant lease acquisitions, positioning itself in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus region. As with many international firms, the American shale surge represented both opportunity and exposure to U.S. regulatory and community scrutiny.
Source: Talisman Energy USA Inc. (2010) Read MoreEnergy in Depth – SourceWatch
Energy in Depth, an industry-backed initiative, promoted hydraulic fracturing as economically and environmentally responsible. Watchdog groups such as SourceWatch have examined the project’s funding and messaging, framing it as part of a coordinated public-relations strategy within the shale debate.
Source: SourceWatch (2010) Read MoreChief Oil & Gas
Chief Oil & Gas became a significant leaseholder in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale, operating as a privately held company with extensive acreage positions. Independent operators like Chief helped seed development before larger corporate consolidation accelerated.
Source: Chief Oil & Gas (2010) Read MorePit Pollution
Reports of pollution from open waste pits highlighted risks associated with storing drilling byproducts on-site. Wildlife mortality, groundwater concerns, and surface runoff raised questions about containment practices. Waste management remains one of the less visible — yet consequential — aspects of shale development.
Source: Earthworks (2004) Read MoreShale gas in the United States – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A high-level snapshot of how shale gas moved from experimental technique to dominant source of U.S. natural gas production. It traces the arc: horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, major basins (Barnett, Marcellus, Haynesville), and the policy fights that followed. Useful as a fast orientation tool — a place to collect names, dates, and terms — before you dive into the messier record of spills, exemptions, and enforcement.
Source: Wikipedia (2010) Read MoreMarcellus Shale – Subject Guides at Binghamton University Libraries
A curated academic gateway: reports, agencies, research centers, and key organizations tied to Marcellus development. Instead of one narrative, it offers a controlled door into many — science, policy, public health, law, economics. The hook is the curation itself: a university quietly assembling the documents that everyone argues about. When the public conversation gets heated, a subject guide can function like a calm shelf of evidence.
Source: Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling Research Guide (2010) Read More
Explore how hydraulic fracturing continues to be examined in academic research. Academic papers indexed by Semantic Scholar are sorted by total citation count, highlighting widely cited and influential research. Semantic Scholar uses AI-assisted analysis to identify connections between papers and surface influential work within the research network.