Powerful reports today on the relationship between oil and gas drilling in Texas and air pollution.

First, a joint report by the Center for Public Integrity, the Weather Channel and Inside Climate News:

Deep in the heart of South Texas, new oil and gas wells are appearing seemingly everywhere. The region is called the Eagle Ford Shale and it’s the location of the largest energy booms in the world.

But it may be a bust for local residents who fear for their health.

In this original documentary, reporter Jim Morris of the Center for Public Integrity visits the people most affected by the boom and explains the science why they may be in danger.

The report highlights the stunning folly of rushing forward with new drilling technologies. It’s a story we run into over and over: we simply don’t know what we don’t know about the long-term effects on our health of a technology we’re deploying all over the country. And in Texas, as in Wyoming and North Dakota and Montana, public agencies are not taking responsibiliity for ensuring public safety before they chase the riches that fracking promises.

I strongly recommend you read and watch the report

Rachel Maddow Coverage

Click to watch video

Rachel Maddow covered this story on her show last night, and interviewed Jim Morris, an editor at the Center for Public Integrity. Her report is also worth watching.