Vast reserves of natural gas unlocked by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” could lower energy prices and reduce emissions across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. now may have enough natural gas resources to power the country for 110 years at 2009 consumption levels. But is the rush to release this new domestic energy source causing environmental and health problems?

energyNOW! Chief Correspondent Tyler Suiters explored all sides of Pennsylvania’s shale gas boom, speaking with concerned homeowners, doctors investigating health concerns, industry proponents, and government officials.  This special episode hears from people at the center of a debate that could help decide America’s energy future.

“If you’re being completely, totally honest, the answer is there is no zero risk,” said John Hanger, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, who oversaw drilling permit approval when the state’s shale boom began.

The U.S. uses more energy per person than any other country, and a quarter of that energy comes from natural gas. Innovations that combine horizontal drilling with high-volume hydraulic fracturing have unlocked previously unreachable deposits of natural gas in shale rock. This new glut of gas has driven prices down more than 65 percent since mid-2008, according to the EIA.

“What we have here in this part of the country is really some of the most productive shale gas development proximate to some of the largest users and markets for the gas,” said Kathryn Klaber of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Consumers across the nation have benefited from this new resource, and new drilling projects are creating jobs. But at what cost to residents living near wells? Complaints about contaminated drinking water, health problems, and controversy over the fracking process raise the question: Is America moving too quickly to produce its shale gas reserves?

Some homeowners say gas drilling near their homes has made their drinking water dangerous. “I don’t feel safe in our house, and I don’t think that, you know, we’ll ever feel safe drinking tap water again,” said Mike Phillips, a homeowner in rural Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

“Different neighborhoods have complained of the same contaminants – you go to one area and it’s barium, you go to another area, it’s arsenic,” said Dr. Poune Saberi, a family physician at the University of Pennsylvania investigating contamination patterns in that state. “It would be nice to know this is all okay, and I really believe the burden of proving that should have fallen on the industry.”

Disclosure note: Initial funding for energyNOW! comes from the American Clean Skies Foundation, which is funded in part by Chesapeake Energy, a major player in the shale gas business. energyNOW! is editorially independent - neither the foundation nor its backers control what we say or do on the program. We strive to report on energy and the environment accurately and fairly, with no agenda other than informing the public about critical issues that affect us all.