Fracking natural gas well

This is one of thousands of new wells in this region which use the controversial method of extracting natural gas by hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus shale, known as "fracking".

Opponents of the practice cite concerns of water and air pollution caused by the fracking process. On the flip side of the debate, the new industry to this part of the country has created several thousand jobs at a time when unemployment rates are very high.