Under the Surface : Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale

For the updated paperback edition of __Under the Surface__, Tom Wilber has written a new chapter and epilogue covering developments since the book's initial publication. Chief among these are the home rule movement and accompanying social and legal events leading up to an unprecedented ban of fracking in New York state, and the outcome of the federal EPA's investigation of water pollution just across the state border in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The industry, with powerful political allies, effectively challenged the federal government’s attempts to intervene in drilling communities in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Texas with water problems. But it met its match in a grassroots movement―known as "fractivism"―that sprouted from seeds sown in upstate New York community halls and grew into one of the state’s most influential environmental movements since Love Canal. Wilber weaves a narrative tracing the consequences of shale gas development in northeast Pennsylvania and central New York through the perspective of various stakeholders. Wilber's evenhanded treatment explains how the revolutionary process of fracking has changed both access to our domestic energy reserves and the lives of people living over them. He gives a voice to all constituencies, including farmers and landowners tempted by the prospects of wealth but wary of the consequences; policymakers struggling with divisive issues concerning free enterprise, ecology, and public health; and activists coordinating campaigns based on their respective visions of economic salvation and environmental ruin. Throughout the book, Wilber illustrates otherwise dense policy and legal issues in human terms and shows how ordinary people can affect extraordinary events. Running From Southern West Virginia Through Eastern Ohio, Across Central And Northeast Pennsylvania, And Into New York Through The Southern Tier And The Catskills, The Marcellus Shale Formation Underlies A Sparsely Populated Region That Features Striking Landscapes, Critical Watersheds, And A Struggling Economic Base. It Also Contains One Of The World's Largest Supplies Of Natural Gas, A Resource That Has Been Dismissed As Inaccessible Until Recently. Technological Developments That Combine Horizontal Drilling With Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) Have Removed Physical And Economic Barriers To Extracting Hundreds Of Trillions Of Cubic Feet Of Gas From Bedrock Deep Below The Appalachian Basin.^ Beginning In 2006, The First Successful Marcellus Gas Wells By Range Resources, Combined With A Spike In The Value Of Natural Gas, Spurred A Modern-day Gold Rush, A Gas Rush, With Profound Ramifications For Environmental Policy, Energy Markets, Political Dynamics, And The Lives Of The People Living In The Marcellus Region. This Book Is A Journalistic Overview Of Shale Gas Development And The Controversies Surrounding It. Control Over Drilling Rights Is At Stake In The Heart Of Marcellus Country, Northeast Pennsylvania And Central New York. The Decisions By Landowners To Work With Or Against The Companies, And The Resulting Environmental And Economic Consequences, Are Scrutinized By Neighbors Faced With Similar Decisions, By Residents Of Cities Whose Water Supply Originates In The Exploration Area, And By Those Living Across State Lines With Differing Attitudes And Policies Concerning Extraction Industries.^ Here The Author Gives A Voice To All Constituencies, Including Farmers And Landowners Tempted By The Prospects Of Wealth But Wary Of The Consequences, Policymakers Struggling With Divisive Issues, And Activists Coordinating Campaigns Based On Their Respective Visions Of Economic Salvation And Environmental Ruin. He Describes A Landscape In Which The Battle Over The Marcellus Ranges From The Very Local, Yard Signs Proclaiming Landowners' Allegiances For Or Against Shale Gas Development, To Often Conflicting Municipal, State, And Federal Legislation Intended To Accelerate, Delay, Or Discourage Exploration. For Millions Of People With A Direct Stake In Shale Gas Exploration In The Marcellus Or Any Number Of Other Emerging Shale Resources In The United States And Worldwide, Or For Those Concerned About The Global Energy Outlook, This Book Offers A Look At The Issues. Prologue : Cracks In The Rock -- An Agent Of Dreams -- Coming Together -- Gas Rush -- Figures, Facts, And Information -- Accidental Activists -- The Division -- Superior Forces -- Epilogue : Back On Carter Road. Tom Wilber. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Running from southern West Virginia through eastern Ohio, across central and northeast Pennsylvania, and into New York through the Southern Tier and the Catskills, the Marcellus Shale formation underlies a sparsely populated region that features striking landscapes, critical watersheds, and a struggling economic base. It also contains one of the world's largest supplies of natural gas, a resource that has been dismissed as inaccessible until recently. Technological developments that combine horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") have removed physical and economic barriers to extracting hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of gas from bedrock deep below the Appalachian basin. Beginning in 2006, the first successful Marcellus gas wells by Range Resources, combined with a spike in the value of natural gas, spurred a modern-day gold rush a "gas rush" with profound ramifications for environmental policy, energy markets, political dynamics, and the lives of the people living in the Marcellus region. Under the Surface is the first book-length journalistic overview of shale gas development and the controversies surrounding it. Control over drilling rights is at stake in the heart of Marcellus country northeast Pennsylvania and central New York. The decisions by landowners to work with or against the companies and the resulting environmental and economic consequences are scrutinized by neighbors faced with similar decisions, by residents of cities whose water supply originates in the exploration area, and by those living across state lines with differing attitudes and policies concerning extraction industries. Wilber's evenhanded treatment gives a voice to all constituencies, including farmers and landowners tempted by the prospects of wealth but wary of the consequences, policymakers struggling with divisive issues, and activists coordinating campaigns based on their respective visions of economic salvation and environmental ruin. Wilber describes a landscape in which the battle over the Marcellus ranges from the very local yard signs proclaiming landowners' allegiances for or against shale gas development to often conflicting municipal, state, and federal legislation intended to accelerate, delay, or discourage exploration. For millions of people with a direct stake in shale gas exploration in the Marcellus or any number of other emerging shale resources in the United States and worldwide, or for those concerned about the global energy outlook, Under the Surface offers a worthwhile and engaging look at the issues. “Running from southern West Virginia through eastern Ohio, across central and northeast Pennsylvania, and into New York through the Southern Tier and the Catskills, the Marcellus Shale formation underlies a sparsely populated region that features striking landscapes, critical watersheds, and a struggling economic base. It also contains one of the world's largest supplies of natural gas, a resource that has been dismissed as inaccessible until recently. Technological developments that combine horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") have removed physical and economic barriers to extracting hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of gas from bedrock deep below the Appalachian basin. Beginning in 2006, the first successful Marcellus gas wells by Range Resources, combined with a spike in the value of natural gas, spurred a modern-day gold rush, a "gas rush", with profound ramifications for environmental policy, energy markets, political dynamics, and the lives of the people living in the Marcellus region. This book is a journalistic overview of shale gas development and the controversies surrounding it. Control over drilling rights is at stake in the heart of Marcellus country, northeast Pennsylvania and central New York. The decisions by landowners to work with or against the companies, and the resulting environmental and economic consequences, are scrutinized by neighbors faced with similar decisions, by residents of cities whose water supply originates in the exploration area, and by those living across state lines with differing attitudes and policies concerning extraction industries. Here the author gives a voice to all constituencies, including farmers and landowners tempted by the prospects of wealth but wary of the consequences, policymakers struggling with divisive issues, and activists coordinating campaigns based on their respective visions of economic salvation and environmental ruin. He describes a landscape in which the battle over the Marcellus ranges from the very local, yard signs proclaiming landowners' allegiances for or against shale gas development, to often conflicting municipal, state, and federal legislation intended to accelerate, delay, or discourage exploration. For millions of people with a direct stake in shale gas exploration in the Marcellus or any number of other emerging shale resources in the United States and worldwide, or for those concerned about the global energy outlook, this book offers a look at the issues.” BOOK JACKET In Under the Surface, Tom Wilber weaves a narrative tracing the consequences of shale gas development in northeast Pennsylvania and central New York through the perspective of various stakeholders. Wilber's evenhanded treatment explains how the revolutionary process of fracking has changed both access to our domestic energy reserves and the lives of people living over them. He gives a voice to all constituencies, including farmers and landowners tempted by the prospects of wealth but wary of the consequences; policymakers struggling with divisive issues concerning free enterprise, ecology, and public health; and activists coordinating campaigns based on their respective visions of economic salvation and environmental ruin.For the paperback edition, Wilber has written a new chapter and epilogue covering developments since the book's initial publication in 2012. Chief among these are the home rule movement and accompanying social and legal events leading up to an unprecedented ban of fracking in New York state, and the outcome of the federal EPA's investigation of water pollution just across the state border in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The industry, with powerful political allies, effectively challenged the federal government's attempts to intervene in drilling communities in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Texas with water problems. But it met its match in a grassroots movement—known as'fractivism'—that sprouted from seeds sown in upstate New York community halls and grew into one of the state's most influential environmental movements since Love Canal. Throughout the book, Wilber illustrates otherwise dense policy and legal issues in human terms and shows how ordinary people can affect extraordinary events. Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale 4 Contents 8 Prologue: Cracks in the Rock 12 1. An Agent of Dreams 20 2. Coming Together 41 3. Gas Rush 81 4. Figures, Facts, and Information 104 5. Accidental Activists 140 6. The Division 176 7. Superior Forces 216 Epilogue: Back on Carter Road 234 Note to Readers 240 List of Figures and Maps 244 Notes 246 Index 274 Intro -- Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale -- Contents -- Prologue: Cracks in the Rock -- 1. An Agent of Dreams -- 2. Coming Together -- 3. Gas Rush -- 4. Figures, Facts, and Information -- 5. Accidental Activists -- 6. The Division -- 7. Superior Forces -- Epilogue: Back on Carter Road -- Note to Readers -- List of Figures and Maps -- Notes -- Index