This episode is available exclusively for Wondery+ subscribers.By the early 2000s, fracking was seen as the most promising new energy industry technology in decades. And when a Penn State geologist discovered that the shale field sitting under Pennsylvania and Upstate New York held over 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the race was on to bring fracking to the Northeast. But in the rush to frack the new field, accidents began to happen, making locals question just how safe this new technique really was.Listen to new episodes 1 week early and ad free, and access exclusive seasons of American Innovations with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/innovations.Support us by supporting our sponsors!ZipRecruiter - Try ZipRecruiter for FREE at ziprecruiter.com/ai.Monday.com - Visit monday.com/podcast for your FREE two-week trial.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.