There are underground fires in abandoned mines that have been smouldering for years, poisoning communities with fumes and killing crops and threatening homes. In nearby W Virginia the problem is strip mining, which causes uncontrolled erosion and acid run-off that poisons streams and ground water miles away.

These problems may not have been anticipated when these practices were first introduced, but by know we've learned that technology often has unexpected consequences and unanticipated dangers. Turning over the regulation of high-impact extraction activities to a sympathetic, hard-hat state government desperate for the revenues and jobs is just asking for trouble. I think the Halliburton lobbyists knew exactly what they were doing, and they relied on the administration of a former Texas governor and long-time friend of the industry to get it done.