This week the documentary Gasland
, a film that depicts the effects of fracking in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale development, was nominated for an Oscar in the upcoming Academy Awards. Hydraulic fracturing requires drillers to use millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals to extract natural gas with serious effects on ground water.
Philadelphia became the latest to do that on Thursday, when city officials called for at least a temporary ban on new wells in the watershed that serves the city’s taps.
The request was part of a set of recommendations in a report approved by the city council asking federal and state authorities to tighten drilling regulations. The report also urges the city-owned utility to avoid buying gas that comes from the Marcellus Shale, the layer of rock that stretches under much of Pennsylvania and is considered one of the world’s largest gas fields.
Watch the full episode. See more NOW on PBS.
If the world had an armpit, it would be Broad Street in Philadelphia. Geno’s and Pat’s are overrated and the best cheese steak can be found in South Philly – in the Oregon District. Shopping – escape across the Ben Franklin to the Depford Mall or north. Want to get killed on the highway – drive the “sure kill” expressway. Want to get mugged, walk down Broad near Snyder. Surprising, Philly has done something correct for once.