PA Environment Digest Blog: New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes; No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Oil & Gas Health Impacts Study

On April 4, the Department of Health published the Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) that outlines goals, objectives, and strategies to improve the health of all Pennsylvanians over the next five years.

The Plan identified Environmental Health as one of eight health issues affecting Pennsylvania. The other seven include access to care, mental health, substance use, chronic diseases, infectious diseases, maternal and infant Health, injury and violence.

The assessment further identified rising health issues related to natural resource extractions [defined by the Health Department as oil and gas development] and the health impacts resulting from climate change as two of the top five threats affecting health outcomes of Pennsylvanians.

The other threats include transportation issues leading to social health disparities, escalating costs of medicines necessary to treat chronic diseases. [page 13]

Under the overarching goal of improving the health status and life expectancy of Pennsylvanians, and eliminating health inequities, there are nine goals in the 2023-2028 SHIP--

-- Increase financial well-being, food security, and safe affordable housing;

-- Increase community safety by reducing the number of violent incidences that occur due to racism, discrimination, or domestic disputes;

-- Improve environmental health, focusing on environmental justice communities;

-- Increase the population at a healthy weight through increasing availability and accessibility of physical activity and affordable nutritious food;

-- Reduce the impact of tobacco and nicotine use;

-- Increase access to medical and oral health care;

-- Improve mental health and substance use outcomes through improved mental health services, trauma-informed trainings, and substance use interventions;

-- Improve health outcomes through improved chronic diseases management; and

-- Improve maternal and infant health outcomes by improving prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care.

“The Department’s vision is to create a ‘Healthy Pennsylvania for All,’” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Acting Secretary of Health. “Achieving that vision will take all of us working with people and organizations across the Commonwealth to increase opportunities for people to access quality health care, impactful programs, and needed resources.”

The 2023-2028 SHIP was developed in collaboration with the Healthy Pennsylvania Partnership (HPP), with support from Harrisburg University.

The HPP is made up of nearly 300 health care professionals, associations, health systems, health and human services organizations, community collaborations, local public health agencies, government agencies, and others focused on improving health outcomes across the Commonwealth.

The SHIP acts as a road map for the HPP and others to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities by working across the continuum from the social determinants of health, preventative interventions, and accessing quality and culturally humble care.

Click Here for a copy of the Plan.

More Background

Since March 2011, the state Department of Health has been attempting to document health complaints of residents initially in unconventional oil and gas drilling areas and maintains a Health Complaints Registry.

In 2018, “the name of the program was changed to Oil and Natural Gas Production to cover potential health impacts from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas production.”

The Health Complaints Registry now offers residents the opportunity to report health impacts from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas production.

The Department of Health says unconventional shale gas development “involves a complex network of industrial infrastructure, from the well pad and wells where oil and natural gas are extracted to the processing plants, compressor stations and pipelines that refine and transport oil and natural gas to consumers.

“Each of these pieces of infrastructure may present potential exposure hazards to residents living nearby as well as to oil and gas workers.”

“Several review articles identify the potential exposure pathways through which people's health may be impacted by ONGP/UONGD [conventional and unconventional oil and gas development].

“These include contamination of surface or groundwater, air pollution or soil degradation. Chemical additives in fracking fluid and the wastewater produced during fracking (flowback, produced water) consist of a broad range of potentially toxic solvents, heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons and naturally-occurring radioactive materials.

“These additives may contaminate nearby private water supplies and/or soil through various pathways (e.g., failing well casings, surface spills or leaks, etc.).

“Additionally, direct and fugitive air emissions from oil and gas well sites can worsen local air quality and have the potential to increase health risks among residents living nearby (i.e., within one-half mile).

“Air pollutants come from the natural gas resource itself as well as diesel engines, storage tanks containing the fluid that comes back up from the wells, and on site materials and equipment used during production.

“Researchers have also noted the potential health impacts related to excessive noise, light and chronic stress; vehicular injuries from increased truck traffic or other injuries or emergencies from explosions, leaks or floods; and the particular case of oil and gas workers, pregnant women, children and the elderly who may be at increased risk of health impacts from environmental exposures.”

The Department of Health said, “Overall, epidemiologic work has found some limited evidence of relationships between living near UONGD [unconventional gas drilling] and poor birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth; worsening respiratory symptoms; and some self-reported health outcomes.”

“Communities in Pennsylvania, especially in Southwest Pennsylvania with significant ONGP activities, have raised concerns about childhood cancers including the Ewing's family of tumors.”

“Overall, there were no conclusive findings indicating that the incidence rates of Ewing's family of tumors in Washington County and Canon-McMillan School District for female and male populations were consistently and statistically significantly higher than the rest of the state over the three time periods (1985-1994, 1995-2004 and 2005-2017) reviewed.

“In 2020, DOH examined cancer incidence data in a four-county area in Southwest Pennsylvania (Washington, Fayette, Greene and Westmoreland). Childhood cancer rates, as well as overall cancer rates, were mostly similar to or lower than the rest of state rates for all the three time periods examined.”

No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Studies

To further address community concerns, the Department of Health is funding the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to conduct two observational epidemiologic studies focusing on known or suspected health effects of UONGD.

One study will investigate the relationship between UONGD and the development of childhood cancers in southwestern Pennsylvania, the most heavily drilled area of the state.

The other study will aim to replicate earlier studies centered on northcentral/northeastern Pennsylvania evaluating the acute conditions of asthma and birth outcomes.

The new studies will use data from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Visit the University of Pittsburgh’s PA Health And Environment Study webpage for more information about these studies.

No written update on these studies has been posted on the webpage since July 1, 2022.

However, both the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Department of Health pulled out of an October 2022 public meeting intended to provide an update on the studies. Read more here.

Related Articles - University Of Pittsburgh Study:

-- Pitt School Of Public Health, PA Dept Of Health Abruptly Pull Out Of Oct. 5 Public Meeting They Helped Convene On Studies Looking At Links Between Natural Gas Development And Childhood Cancer Rates

-- Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Recruiting Families In Southwest PA For Study Of Childhood Cancer, One Of 3 Studies Of Potential Health Impacts Linked To Shale Natural Gas Development

-- Dept. Of Health Awards $2.5 Million Contract To University of Pittsburgh To Research Health Effects Of Hydraulic Fracturing In PA

Related Articles - Latest Health Impacts:

-- House Bill Would Expand Safety Zones Around Oil/Gas Wells, Infrastructure To Reduce Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts As Recommended By AG Shapiro’s Grand Jury Report [PaEN]

-- New University Of Chicago Medical Study Connects Natural Gas Development In PA To Real, Serious Human Health Outcomes And Should Be A Call To Action For Policy Makers - By Alison Caldwell, PhD, University of Chicago News [PaEN]

-- Ohio Research Confirms Health, Environmental Hazards In Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Dumped On Roads, Just Like In PA [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Provides Fresh Support To Key Changes Recommended In 2020 Grand Jury Report To Tighten Regulation Of The Natural Gas Drilling Industry To Better Protect Public Health, Environment [PaEN]

-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX [PaEN]

-- DEP/Equitrans Settlement: DEP, Preempted By Federal Law, Withdraws Order, Closes NOVs Against Equitrans For Cambria County Natural Gas Storage Leak Releasing 1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas [PaEN]