"RICHMOND, Va. — Opponents of opening the George Washington National Forest to fracking for natural gas released a report Tuesday that they say proves the drilling practice would be harmful to the largest federal forest on the East Coast."

"The report was issued by Environment Virginia ahead of the U.S. Forest Service’s release later this fall of a management plan for the 1.1-million-acre forest. Called 'Fracking by the Numbers,' the study looks at the impact of fracking on a national basis, concluding that more than 360,000 U.S. acres have been damaged by fracking since 2005.

Sarah Bucci, the group’s campaign director, said 'fracking has already taken a dirty and destructive toll on our environment in other parts of the country.'"

The Associated Press had the story October 8, 2013. [2]