“Clean water is not unlimited; it must be protected” and natural gas drilling is putting our clean water at risk! The development of our energy resources cannot come at the expense of our environmental resources – our water, our land and our ecosystems. That’s why, as a Pennsylvania resident, I am taking a stand against natural gas drilling in hopes of protecting our environmental resources and wildlife. In recent years, natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania has become a popular topic of controversy. The reason this topic is so controversial for a Pennsylvania resident is due to its impact on our environment. Natural gas drilling companies are rushing to the state of Pennsylvania to drill areas containing Marcellus Shale, a deep geological formation found in the 1960s. Three percent of Pennsylvania, where natural gas occurs naturally in the rock. Geologists have long known that the Marcellus Shale contained a significant reserve of natural gas, estimated at 2.8 trillion cubic feet (“Marcellus Shale”). Until recently, it was not profitable to drill for natural gas, because drilling a well more than a kilometer deep and blasting this type of shale was inefficient and unprofitable. However, two types of technologies have emerged: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Gas drilling companies are looking to make huge profits using this new combination of technologies, which includes the use of cancer-causing chemicals and millions of gallons of water. In 2006, Pennsylvania natural gas producers drilled approximately 3,900 new wells in the state, and in 2010, an additional 4,000 new wells, more than in any other state except Texas (Kenworthy). With these new extraction techniques and methods as well as higher energy prices, d...... middle of paper...... Marcellus Shale Map - PA Natural Gas Field." Shales bituminous - NaturalGas - Oil & Natural Gas Discovery News 2008. Web. March 26, 2011. .Sapien, Joaquin. “As natural gas drilling booms, Pennsylvania faces wastewater attack” ProPublica, October 4, 2009. . Web March 26, 2011. "Wildlife expert warns of ecological risks from natural gas drilling." Farm and Dairy - The Auction Guide and the Rural Market.Web March 26, 2011. Zerbe, Leah. Natural Gas Drilling Endangers Drinking Water” Rodale News. November 8, 2009. Web. March 25. 2011.