Jonah Energy

Disposing industrial waste is a misdemeanor and punishable by up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.

Though the proposal remains tentative it is already a cause of worry for conservationists.

Jonah Energy, LLC, seeks to tap 5.25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or a year's supply for 74 million average-sized homes.

Linn Energy CEO Mark Ellis says the sale will allow the Houston-based company to significantly reduce leverage and improve financial flexibility.