It's an ever-present annoyance," Sam said. "This does not belong by houses."

A jury called it a nuisance, too. A gas-drilling site is approximately 165 feet from the Crowder's back fence.

The Crowders sued over, among other things, the dust, noise, and smell they say came from the site. The trial ended this week, and the jury sided with them, agreeing that Chesapeake Energy - which operates the site - created a nuisance and prevented the Crowders from enjoying their property.

"It's hard to put into words," Sam said, choking up a bit. "I think now people will pay attention and listen to us, because no one ever listened before."

The jury awarded the Crowders $20,000, which is much less than the $108,000 they asked for. But overall, the verdict is more than they hoped for.

"Somebody listened to us, finally," Jane said, "and something was done."

"We went to the zoning board, we went to city council -- it made no difference," Sam added. "I don't think anybody really ever listened. [...] Then they make you feel like a trouble maker."

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — EQT Corp. is suing six West Virginia property owners who subverted the company's plans to put five gas wells on a 1,000-acre farm by sinking water wells on the site first.

Under state law, gas companies can't drill within 250 feet of an existing water well or spring used for human consumption.

Landowner Charles Heaster says he plans to build a cabin on the site. He says he doesn't want EQT to destroy another 50 acres of his farm near West Union.

Pennsylvania-based EQT wants a federal judge to issue an injunction ordering Heaster to plug and abandon the water well, and drop his construction plans for the cabin.

Operations can go on around the clock, with constant noise, light and air pollution. A cornerstone of the industrialization that comes with fracking is all the truck traffic -- hundreds of trucks a day travel on country roads never built for large trucks or the amount of wear and tear. Accidents are common. Wade took this photo after two dump trucks crashed, one of which was carrying drill cuttings: