Anyone who wants to know more about the public health dangers of oil and gas  development simply must catch HBO’s documentary ‘Gasland’ when it premieres this Monday, June 21 at 9pm EDT.

In this Sundance award winning film, Gasland filmmaker Josh Fox traveled throughout the United States to document the impacts of natural gas development on local communities and drinking water. What he finds is alarming. 

Last week I testified in front of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board Environmental Engineering Committee on their study of the Potential Relationship between Hydraulic Fracturing and Drinking Water Resources. The Science Advisory Board was accepting public comments and testimony on the methodology of the EPA’s soon-to-be-initiated study on hydraulic fracturing.

Much ink has been spilled regarding the clean properties of natural gas, such as this recent ad by America’s Natural Gas Alliance. Advocates of increased natural gas development love to say that it is cleaner than coal, abundant, and a so-called “bridge fuel” in the transition to renewable energy.

 But how clean is natural gas, really?

If you’re new to the issue of natural gas development or still confused by the plethora of information about the consequences of drilling, you may want to grab some popcorn and check out the new documentary Split Estate airing this Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Planet Green. The film will also re-air the following Thursday at 11 p.m. Eastern. Watch the trailer.

There has been much discussion of natural gas as a “clean” fossil fuel. While natural gas can be relatively clean burning, compared to coal it requires extraction and production activities that can be extremely damaging to the environment and human health.