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$From left, Topher Jones, Edward Hartmann and Angie Holliday hold a campaign sign outside City Hall in Denton, Texas, on July 15, 2014. Voters in the college town approve a ban on fracking on Tuesday.$

From left, Topher Jones, Edward Hartmann and Angie Holliday hold a campaign sign outside City Hall in Denton, Texas, on July 15, 2014. Voters in the college town approve a ban on fracking on Tuesday. Tony Gutierrez/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Tony Gutierrez/AP

The Two-Way

Voters In Texas City Approve Ban On Fracking

November 5, 2014 • It's the first time a city in the energy-friendly state has voted to ban hydraulic fracturing. The vote in Denton is likely to face legal challenges.

Ray Gerrish repairs a drilling rig near Watford City, N.D. Oil industry analysts predict that oil prices will have to remain low for at least several months before having a significant effect on U.S. production. Jim Gehrz/MCT/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Jim Gehrz/MCT/Landov

Business

It's Still Too Early For Tanking Oil Prices To Curb U.S. Drilling

November 4, 2014 • The U.S. is now the world's largest oil producer, and some worry that falling prices could mean an industry slowdown. But with production costs also falling, drillers are unlikely to cut back soon.

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$Pumpjacks at the Inglewood oil fields in California in March. Some of the most controversial methods of oil extraction, like fracking, oil sands production and Arctic drilling, are also expensive. That's made them less profitable as the price of oil continues to fall.$

Pumpjacks at the Inglewood oil fields in California in March. Some of the most controversial methods of oil extraction, like fracking, oil sands production and Arctic drilling, are also expensive. That's made them less profitable as the price of oil continues to fall. Richard Vogel/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Richard Vogel/AP

Business

Falling Oil Prices Make Fracking Less Lucrative

November 4, 2014 • As oil prices dip, controversial and relatively expensive production methods, like oil sands and fracking, have become less profitable. Some drillers are already cutting back on plans for more wells.

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Workers drill for oil in the Bakken shale formation outside Watford City, N.D., an area experiencing an oil boom. Andrew Burton/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Business

Predictions Of 'Peak Oil' Production Prove Slippery

October 17, 2014 • Just a few years ago, authors were predicting production would soon hit a peak and then decline. But since then, supplies have surged. So are the forecasters now slapping themselves in the head?

Guillermo Gomez, husband of Vilma Marenco, holds his daughter in their home in Northeast Houston. Marenco was killed in April after being hit by an uninsured trucker who ran a red light. Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle hide caption

itoggle caption Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle

Around the Nation

In Texas, Traffic Deaths Climb Amid Fracking Boom KUHF-FM

October 12, 2014 • Texas is in the midst of a fracking boom, which is opening up huge energy reserves and bringing in jobs. But traffic fatalities, some involving inexperienced and fatigued truck drivers, have surged.

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When Dawn Gioia first received a request to lease mineral rights under her home, in a downtown neighborhood in Brighton, Colo., she thought it was a scam. Lesley McClurg/Colorado Public Radio hide caption

itoggle caption Lesley McClurg/Colorado Public Radio

Energy

Residents Worry Urban Drilling Will Turn Downtowns Into Oil Towns CPR

September 3, 2014 • Drilling for oil and gas in rural and suburban areas isn't new. But energy extraction companies are now moving into more densely populated areas, raising a new set of concerns for city residents.

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At the Pittsburgh International Airport, Consol Energy will begin extracting gas — even under the runways. MeRyan/Wikimedia Commons hide caption

itoggle caption MeRyan/Wikimedia Commons

Around the Nation

As Airports Find New Ways To Make Money, Pittsburgh Tries Fracking WESA-FM

September 3, 2014 • Lots of airports have retail. The largest blueberry producer in Georgia is at an airport. And in Pittsburgh, Consol Energy will begin extracting gas underneath the airport — even under the runways.

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A map showing seismic activity in Oklahoma since 1970. United States Geological Survey hide caption

itoggle caption United States Geological Survey

The Two-Way

USGS: Okla. At Increased Risk Of 'Damaging Quake'

May 5, 2014 • The U.S. Geological Survey and its state counterpart issued a joint statement saying magnitude-3.0 temblors had increased by 50 percent since October.

$A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing.$

A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing. Keith Srakocic/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Keith Srakocic/AP