"KARNES CITY, Texas -- In the five years since the shale boom hit, the once-beautiful hills of south Texas have been transformed into a scarred, industrial landscape. The residents’ health is part of the collateral damage, according to the environmental watchdog group Earthworks. Their new study documents hazardous chemicals in the air and serious ailments reported by families living in close proximity to drilling operations."

"The Earthworks report is the latest in a series of publications exposing potential health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas. But their report, “Reckless Endangerment While Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale” goes farther. It provides a scathing analysis of government oversight and industry responsibility in a place where new wells are being drilled daily in a virtual gold rush.

In Karnes County, the heart of the 400-mile Eagle Ford shale play, the skyline is dotted with burning flares and glaring floodlights, making the Texas night shine as brightly as the Las Vegas Strip."

Sharon Guynup reports for Environmental Health News September 20, 2013. [2]