Hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' is a method of accessing oil and natural gas; the process involves shooting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals into underground formations to break open the rock and gain better access to the resources.

While this has created an economic boon for Pennsylvania and helped increase natural gas usage as a cleaner-burning energy source, fracking has also created myriad environmental concerns--from water contamination to earthquakes.

Senior research associate Daniel Raimi of Resources for the Future has captured the history and impact of the fracking industry in The Fracking Debate: The Risks, Benefits, and Uncertainties of the Shale Revolution.

WITF's StateImpact Pennsylvania reporter Marie Cusick will speak with Raimi about fracking in Pennsylvania, and what the shale drilling boom means for human health and the U.S. economy.