US energy concerns have been postponed due to a recent discovery. Estimates from the Energy Information Administration estimate that there will be enough natural gas under the United States to supply itself for the next 110 years (Weinstein 882). Improvements in the practice called hydraulic fracturing or fracking in which natural gas is extracted from shale have made it possible to reach previously inaccessible natural gas, greatly increasing its profitability and sparking a boom. While critics express environmental concerns, supporters tout the benefits, including affordable energy, economic growth, energy independence and reduced carbon emissions. Quoted by Mark Weinstein in his publication on hydraulic fracturing in the United States and the European Union, "'in 2010 alone, shale resource development supported 600,000 jobs'" (882). In addition, domestic gas production frees itself from dependence on expensive foreign oil, thereby reducing the country's energy costs. Natural gas also emits less C02 than the country's main source of electricity, coal. To be sure, the benefits are significant, and in an era when fracking can alleviate America's economic problems, the oil industry and its supporters tend to downplay the costs associated with fracking. But opponents are well aware of the cost. As the practice of hydraulic fracturing has grown, so has its environmental impact. Increased hydraulic fracturing activity has raised concerns primarily about its relationship to drinking water sources due to toxic chemicals used in the process. Regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's ongoing study to determine the impact of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water sources, existing regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing are not adequate to address the increase of the volume of paper ......Jacquelyn. “Natural gas development and hydraulic fracturing: a policy maker’s guide.” National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL (2012): 0-20. Internet. April 8. 2014. Robbins, Kalyani. “Waking the Sleeping Giant: How Horizontal Drilling Technology Brought the Endangered Species Act to Impact Hydraulic Fracturing.” » Western Reservation Law Review. Summer 2013, Vol. 63 Number 4, p1143-1166. 24p.Academic Research Premier. Internet. April 9. 2014. Weinstein, Mark. “Hydraulic fracturing in the United States and the European Union: rethinking regulations to ensure the protection of water resources. » Wisconsin Journal of International Law. Winter 2013, Vol.30 Issue 4, p881-911. 31p. Premier Academic Research. Internet. April 9. 2014. Wilber, Tom. Below the surface. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 2012. Print. Zuckerman, Gregory. The Frackers. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.