Law360, New York ( May 27, 2014, 6:06 PM EDT) -- Oil and natural gas recovery by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has changed the energy landscape, both domestically and internationally. Production has risen so rapidly that the U.S. Energy Information Administration has predicted the country has already or will soon become the world's leading producer of petroleum and natural gas combined. The U.S. is already the world's largest producer of natural gas.[1] It has also provided a considerable shot in the arm to an American economy sorely in need of one. However, fracking has also sparked controversy, with environmental advocates fearful of its potential impact on air and water quality — fracking's proponent's reason that such fears are unwarranted based on a long history of fracking activity without significant environmental effects. This latter view has been corroborated in recent research.[2]...