The Upper Delaware River flows past the mouth of Basket Creek, near Long Eddy, NY. The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, part of the National Park Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers System, stretches 73.4 miles along the New York - Pennsylvania border. Hydraulic fracturing, a new method of drilling for natural gas, has started nearby.<br /> <br /> &copy; Michael Forster Rothbart<br /> www.mfrphoto.com <br /> 607-267-4893 o 607-432-5984<br /> 5 Draper St, Oneonta, NY 13820<br /> 86 Three Mile Pond Rd, Vassalboro, ME 04989<br /> info@mfrphoto.com<br /> Photo by: Michael Forster Rothbart<br /> Date: 8/2010    File#:  Canon 5D digital camera frame 68031.<br /> ----------<br /> Original caption cut:<br /> Hydraulic fracturing or &quot;fracking&quot; is new method of drilling for natural gas: millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are pumped down a well under high pressure. The pressure fractures the shale, opening fissures so that natural gas can flow more freely. In August 2010, fracking is being widely used in the Marcellus Shale formation under Pennsylvania while New York is considering a temporary moratorium on the practice until the environmental effects can be reviewed. <br /> <br /> The 2005 Energy Policy Act created exemptions from Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act regulations for natural gas drilling, and exempts companies from disclosing the chemicals used during fracking. Scientists have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, methane and xylene that have been found in contaminated drinking water near drilling sites. Other environmental concerns include surface water contamination, air pollution, forest fragmentation, plus human health problems. On the other hand, gas companies and property owners stand to earn up to one trillion dollars in profits from drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
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