Several companies are pursuing hydraulic fracturing, or
fracking, of the natural gas-rich Marcellus shale and oil-laden
Utica shale deposits that lie far beneath the earth's surface in
Ohio and surrounding states. But environmental groups have grown
increasingly concerned about the potential impact of the
fracking process on ground water. "Some people think it's not
their problem because they're not landowners leasing to a gas or
oil company but this is really a community issue," said Jann
Adams, of Marietta, a member of the Southeast Ohio Fracking
Interest Group. "Some chemicals you can't treat if they get into
the water, so the damage would be irreversible," she said. Adams
said her main concern is that millions of gallons of fresh water
are used in the fracking process at each well site. She said the
water is trucked to the site and mixed with sand and "a cocktail
of chemicals" that are pumped into the layers of shale. "But the
oil and gas companies don't have to reveal what these chemicals
are because the