Pollution from burning fuels like petroleum and methane is a problem. To get more oil and gas, companies now use methods such as pressurizing and fracturing old wells. But this raises concerns about waste water, surface pipelines, and using private land for pipelines.

Water quality is also a big concern. Erosion from gas drilling adds harmful sediment to water sources. In addition, many wells are simply abandoned when finished--dating from the early 1900s to the present--allowing dangerous chemicals to regularly seep out.