The use of hydraulic fracturing, sometimes called "fracking," has made it economically possible to produce hydrocarbons, mainly gas, from the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States. Shale gas development from the Marcellus Shale is focused in four states: New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. These states are now facing environmental and surface-use issues which may be unfamiliar to developers from outside the region. Each of these states is reacting differently to the shale gas boom, with new statutes and regulations having been recently passed or still under consideration. These new laws and regulations will play a significant role in how - or if - this enormous natural gas asset is developed.

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