Foes of fracking sign on

PITTSBURGH — For years, activists have warned that fracking can have disastrous consequences — ruined water and air, sickened people and animals, a ceaseless parade of truck traffic.

Now some critics are doing what was once unthinkable: working with the in dustry. Some are even signing lucrative gas leases and speaking about the environmental benefits of gas.

In one northeastern Pennsylvania village that became a global flashpoint in the debate over fracking, the switch has raised more than a few eyebrows.

A few weeks ago, Victoria Switzer and other activists from Dimock endorsed a candidate for governor who supports naturalgas production from gigantic reserves like the Marcellus Shale upstate, albeit with more regulation and new taxes. Dimock was the centerpiece of “Gasland,” a documentary that galva nized opposition to fracking, and Switzer was also featured in this summer’s “Gasland Part II,” which aired on HBO.

“We had to work with the industry. There is no magic wand to make this go away,” said Switzer, who recently formed a group that seeks to work with drillers on improved airquality standards. “Tunnel vision isn’t good. Realism is good.”

For Switzer, the endorsement was a sign that antidrilling activism is evolving, with some opponents shifting tactics to reflect that shale gas is likely here to stay.