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Susquehanna River

Marcellus Shale Gas Production: Pros and Cons

The Marcellus Shale is a deep gas formation in the Northeast that could hold 50 trillion cubic feet of extractable gas, more than twice America's total annual gas consumption. Production of shale gas is one of the top energy and environmental issues facing Pennsylvania. In 2008, the commonwealth's Department of Environmental Protection issued nearly 7,800 gas drilling permits.

There are pros and cons of boosting gas production in Pennsylvania. 

Pros - Gas could be one of the key bridge fuels for reducing dependence on coal and shifting to a low-carbon energy economy. Gas has numerous climate stewardship and air quality advantages over coal. Burning gas emits only half the carbon dioxide that burning coal emits. Gas combustion releases little of the particulate matter and none of the mercury that coal burning releases. Particulate matter is a respiratory and cardiac hazard, while mercury can be transformed into harmful compounds that enter aquatic food chains and contaminate edible fish.

Cons - A top environmental concern with shale gas production is the impacts of hydro-fracturing, or "fracking," a production technique used to force deep shale gas into production wells. Concerns include heavy demand for water used in fracking, seepage of fracking chemicals into groundwater, and spills from surface waste storage pits into streams. Other concerns include impacts of roads, pipelines, and drilling pads on wildlife habitat and rural landscapes.

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