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

The updated paperback edition of Under the Surface by Tom Wilber is a must-read for anyone interested in the consequences of shale gas development in northeast Pennsylvania and central New York.

With a new chapter and epilogue, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the home rule movement and accompanying social and legal events leading up to an unprecedented ban of fracking in New York state, as well as the outcome of the federal EPA's investigation of water pollution just across the state border in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The book weaves a narrative tracing the consequences of shale gas development through the perspective of various stakeholders, including farmers and landowners, policymakers, and activists.

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. Throughout the book, Wilber illustrates otherwise dense policy and legal issues in human terms, showing how ordinary people can affect extraordinary events.

With its evenhanded approach and comprehensive coverage of the topic, Under the Surface is an essential read for anyone interested in the complexities of shale gas development and its impact on communities and the environment.