As the pressure surmounts to eliminate our dependency upon foreign oil, natural gas development seems to be the bridge fuel to alternative energy. However, there are many concerns about the process involved with natural gas extraction, especially due to the vast difference between the process of making conventional gas wells as opposed to shale exploration. There are many factors to be considered, ranging from the contamination of local water resources, the vast amount of fresh water required to facilitate the process, compulsory integration, forced pooling, eminent domain and violation of civil liberties.

Tune in to this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, as host, June Stoyer is joined by industry expert, Kathy Martin to discuss the difference between these processes. Kathy Martin has a BS in petroleum engineering and a Masters in Civil Engineering.  She is a licensed professional engineer in civil engineering in Oklahoma.  Her career began by serving six years with Oklahoma environmental regulatory agencies in the field of water quality permits where she wrote regulations for waste disposal using surface impoundments and land application, as well as acting as project officer of the Tar Creek Superfund Site - the largest abandoned lead and zinc mine in the US located in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.  She spent the past 15 years focused on engineering evaluation of waste management systems used by large scale animal feeding operations in 21 states and has helped adjacent landowners throughout the due process system of environmental permits.  She served on the STRONGER board for 5 years, involved in voluntary audits of state environmental regulations related to oil and gas exploration. The past 3 years, she's become involved in the fracking issue by helping grassroots organizations understand the technical aspects of shale gas exploration,production and potential for groundwater and air pollution.