Impacts of Fracking

The practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract natural gas has expanded in recent years. The practice has fueled a national debate about the shale gas extraction process. Some people think that this practice will help provide for energy security. Others are concerned about the environment. Increasingly there are people who are worried about how fracking might affect their health and safety. In this podcast, we talk about the science of fracking, what we do - and don't - know about its impacts, and how Health Impact Assessments could be used as an approach to identify how drilling might affect community members.