West Virginia and Fracking

Frack Target: Marcellus Shale

Water Resources at Stake: Monongahela River, Ohio River, Elk River, Little Kanawha River, Sutton Lake, Summersville Lake, Tygart Lake, Bluestone Lake

West Virginians have seen their fair share of disastrous energy extraction techniques – like mountaintop removal coal mining - but as the fracking boom makes its way to their home state, residents face a whole new set of problems. The gas industry is taking advantage of lax regulations in West Virginia to pump the streams excessively, sometimes until they are dry. And fracking-related activity was the suspected culprit in a toxic algae bloom that wiped out thousands of fish, mussels and other aquatic life in 35 miles of Dunkard creek – one of the most biologically diverse creeks in the state.

Below is a map of some of the high profile incidents ("fraccidents") related to the country's gas drilling boom that have already occurred in and around West Virginia. Click on any fraccident to learn more.

View Fraccidents Map in a larger map