Since 2009, Pennsylvania foundations, charities and organizations have contributed more than $19 million to websites, programs, films, scientific studies and water quality monitoring centered on natural gas hydraulic fracturing, according to The Associated Press. The method of extracting large amounts of natural gas from deep underground, also known as fracking, has raised questions about environmental consequences, such as groundwater contamination.

On the other hand, fracking has provided jobs for tens of thousands of people and has helped regions in Pennsylvania once again reclaim the position of being a manufacturing hub, Steve Forde, a Shale Coalition spokesman, told the source. On top of those benefits, this new method of extracting fuel is providing Americans with more affordable gas options, he added.

Carnegie Mellon University professor Jeanne VanBriesen said the support provided for this work has been critical to its success, the source adds. For instance, the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Endowments - unrelated to the food manufacturing corporation of the same name - has given more than $12 million to various projects, while the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation has given more than $2 million in grants to programs focused on maintaining water quality.

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