How the Amish are getting fracked

In The New Republic, Molly Redden writes about how energy companies are exploiting the fact that the Amish religion and culture rely on a strict interpretation of the Christian bible to prohibit the use of the courts in settling disputes. No lawsuits.

Home to the largest Amish community in the world, Eastern Ohio sits squarely on top of the Utica and Marcellus Shale formations, which contain billions in oil and gas recoverable through advances in hydraulic fracturing technology, or fracking. From the portions of the Utica Shale play that underlie Ohio alone, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has estimated that companies may be able to extract up to 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon has estimated the value of the Utica's resources at $500 billion.

More here. An excellent investigative long-read.