Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale

283 Pages·2012·6.882 MB·English

by  Tom Wilber

UNDER THE SURFACE

Tom Wilber
UNDER THE SURFACE

Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate
of the Marcellus Shale
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS, ITHACA AND LONDON
Copyright © 2012 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof,
must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For
information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca,
New York 14850.
First published 2012 by Cornell University Press
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wilber, Tom, 1958–
Under the surface : fracking, fortunes and the fate of the Marcellus Shale / Tom Wilber.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8014-5016-7 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Shale gas industry—New York (State) 2. Shale gas industry—
Pennsylvania. 3. Hydraulic fracturing—New York (State) 4. Hydraulic fracturing—
Pennsylvania. 5. Marcellus Shale. I. Title.
HD9581.2.S53W55 2012
333.8'23309747—dc23 2011047166
Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and
materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials
include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally
chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our
website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my wife, Julianne Boyd, and my mother,
Florence Leonard Wilber

CONTENTS
Prologue: Cracks in the Rock 1
1. An Agent of Dreams 9
2. Coming Together 30
3. Gas Rush 70
4. Figures, Facts, and Information 93
5. Accidental Activists 129
6. The Division 165
7. Superior Forces 205
Epilogue: Back on Carter Road 223
Note to Readers 229
List of Figures and Maps 233
Notes 235
Index 263

UNDER THE SURFACE