This is part of our series/section titled Current Big Environmental Issues Summary Trackers
Summary overview and brief background:
Fracking, essentially acquisition of natural gas from the ground, has been looked at as a source of energy, and a source that competes with oil.
What are the main issues?
Safety
Who are the major players in the arena?
Local authorities
Safety and emergency responders, especially when there is an accident
Local citizens
Where is this all taking place?
Regions in the U.S., at least
Quick timeline of developments:
Fracking discovered
Accidents happened
Realizations of potential impacts to the environment
Efforts to reduce or ban fracking
Debate of the merits for and against fracking