The issue of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, continues to be an integral part of the debate over national energy policy.
With the release on January 4th of the movie Promised Land, it does not appear the debate will subside any time soon. Matt Damon, one of the movie's stars, has stated in at least one interview that the "jury" remains out on what the science will say about fracking. Nevertheless, a survey of recent case law indicates that judges appear to be less than impressed with the claims brought thus far. For more information about legal disputes involving fracking, see a recent National Law Journal article by clicking here.