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c. By virtue of destabilization of the earth around it along with the release of more than just the gas it is going after - it doesn’t sound that great.

I live in the middle of the Barnett shale -- the place where horizontal drilling in concert with fracking was first conducted on a large scale.

There has been no adverse impact on the environment whatsoever.

All the fearmongering conducted by the enviro-whackos is just that -- fear-mongering. It has no basis in actual fact.

Logic dictates that fracturing the earth in a gazillion spots would be destabilizing. On the other hand it could release tension. Also, one piece of anecdotal evidence from one location doesn’t a case make.

Also, the impact is not zero. That is misleading. http://energy.utexas.edu/index.php?Itemid=160&id=151&option=com_content&view=article

Key Findings:

Researchers found no evidence of aquifer contamination from hydraulic fracturing chemicals in the subsurface by fracturing operations, and observed no leakage from hydraulic fracturing at depth.

Many reports of groundwater contamination occur in conventional oil and gas operations (e.g., failure of well-bore casing and cementing) and are not unique to hydraulic fracturing.

Methane found in water wells within some shale gas areas (e.g., Marcellus) can most likely be traced to natural sources, and likely was present before the onset of shale gas operations.

Surface spills of fracturing fluids appear to pose greater risks to groundwater sources than from hydraulic fracturing itself.

Blowouts — uncontrolled fluid releases during construction or operation — are a rare occurrence, but subsurface blowouts appear to be under-reported.

Also, horizontal fracking has drawn some concern from non enviro whackos.

“Hydraulic fracturing has been around for decades, but with horizontal drilling now coming into play, people are increasingly questioning and scrutinizing the risks involved,” said Andrew Maynard, professor of environmental health sciences and director of U-M’s Risk Science Center. “Areas of concern include perceived lack of transparency, potential chemical contamination, water availability, waste water disposal, and impacts on ecosystems, human health and surrounding areas.”