SYRACUSE --
Environmentalists, activists and a crowd of people with questions filled Syracuse's Palace Theater before "Gasland" started.
Hydrofracking, which injects high pressure water mixed with chemicals into rock to draw out natural gas, was a big concern for many in the audience. Upstate New York sits above rich natural gas deposits in an area called the Marcellus Shale. There have been concerns about hydrofracking affecting groundwater and air quality.
"I think those are the two things we all depend on to live and without clean air and clean water, we're not going to make it," said Xochi Rich as she waited for the movie to start.
Filmmaker Josh Fox started the documentary after gas companies tried to acquire rights to his family's property in Pennsylvania. After Fox learned about hydrofracking, he went around the country to see what the effects it had on local communities and the environment.
Fox's film demonstrates the negative impacts that he found from hydrofracking, including shots of a man setting water from a faucet on fire. Fox said what he found convinced him hydrofracking should be stopped.
"You have these water contamination issues, you have air pollution problems because you're venting lots of natural gas into the air along with volatile organic compounds that are separated in the drilling process - and it's an environmental disaster," said Fox.
Jeanne Shenandoah has been keeping an eye on hydrofracking ever since gas companies approached the Onondaga Nation about drilling there.
"It's quite a bit to keep up with it because we're constantly learning more and more about it, said Shenandoah. "And the more I hear about it, the scarier it is."
There are two other Central New York screenings of "Gasland" this weekend. The film is at the Cinemapolis in Ithaca at 1:00 and 6:00 pm on Saturday. On Sunday, "Gasland" has a 7:00 pm showing at the Auburn Public Theater.
