<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://energybulletin.net/sites/default/files/images/megan_hauser-drilling-590x388.thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-thumbnail" width="100" height="66" /></span>In the late 1800s northwestern Ohio was at the center of an oil boom as the state became the nation's largest crude producer. Today Ohio is at the center of another fossil fuel boom, where a new drilling method — hydraulic fracturing (fracking) combined with modern horizontal drilling — is releasing natural gas from deep underground shale, leading to a rush of new leases. Is drilling safe or are contamination concerns unfounded?</p>
<div class="image-clear"></div><p><a href="http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-05-30/oil-and-water%E2%80%94-drilling-stirs-new-concerns">read more</a></p>