Understanding the Marcellus Shale Debate The Marcellus Shale is
a layer of subterranean rock that curves from West Virginia,
through Ohio, to Pennsylvania, and ending in the southern part
of New York. The shale contains large quantities of natural gas,
but also overlaps with the western part of New York City’s
watershed. The gas would be accessed via hydraulic fracturing
technology that blasts millions of gallons of water, sand, and
chemicals into the rock to release the gas trapped within it.
This is of great concern for New York City and the state of New
York because any accidental leaks during the fracturing process
could threaten public health and pollute the drinking water.
Additionally contamination could happen through the creation of
wells, roads, and pipelines necessary for fracturing, not to
mention during the transfer of fracturing fluids to and from the
drilling site. Meanwhile, the decision whether or not to drill
is complicated by the fact that natural gas is one of the
cleanest burning fuels as