I'm reading the headline on this, this morning and wondering, who is this guy?  When I get to "Few media columnists are more adept at cajoling the reader into sharing politically biased conclusions through the careful selection, bald-faced dismissal or blatant omission of pertinent facts than Paul Krugman." I wonder if the writer is going to produce any evidence to support the charge.  After reading the entire article, I conclude that no, he's not going to.  He produces a quote from some agency I'm not familiar with (the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection), but no link, no footnote as to where I can read this for myself.  The guy ends with this: "Do your own research -- and always consider the source."

I agree with that whole-heartedly, so I tried to look up "Don Engebretson, of Excelsior, is a writer and small-business owner. "  Try it yourself.  Google the phrase and parts of the phrase, the name and so on.  I came up  with very little.  The person does not seem to be a journalist, but he might be the Renegade Gardener.  There's a small construction company that might be a match.  What there isn't,  is a web page or other source that provides us with the author's bona fides or curriculum vitae.  So, that leaves the reader with the option of simply accepting the opinion this guy or of Paul Krugman who has information pages galore and not just a few qualifications.  I'll stick with Krugman, thank you. Because the only way you go against a Paul Krugman in this case is to share the existing belief that Mr. Krugman is politically biased (I'll buy that without accepting that bias is necessarily bad) and engages in bald face dismissal or blatant omission of pertinent facts (no sale there). Short of producing facts that support the assertions against Mr. Krugman, what we have here is a he said, he said situation.

In other words, if you want to know more, and possibly what's really taking place concerning fracking, you'll need to do much more than read an opinion.  You'll need to find out who the best sources are on the subject and what their consensus is.