On Sept. 27 Families Will Hold Town Hall Meeting In Washington County Seeking Policy Changes After Pitt Studies Link Natural Gas Development And Negative Health Outcomes

On September 27, families in Southwest PA will gather at a Washington County Town Hall meeting to seek answers and policy changes one month after studies by the University of Pittsburgh linked natural gas development and increases in asthma and negative childhood health outcomes.

The Town Hall is sponsored by Moms & Dads - Family Awareness of Cancer Threat Spike and hosted by the Center for Coalfield Justice and the Physicians for Social Responsibility - PA.

The groups are pushing for protective measures to be put in place, and plans to appeal to leaders in Harrisburg to take action to protect residents.

Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania will present about the potential health impacts of the natural gas industry in our communities, and research that suggests natural gas pipelines emit a significant amount of radioactivity. 

PSR PA’s air quality monitoring project, images from the FLIR optimal gas imaging camera, and have PFAS ‘forever chemical’ water test kits available. 

The Town Hall will be held at the Quail Acres Pavilion, North Strabane Township Park, 1929 PA-519, Canonsburg from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Town Hall will also be available online.  Click Here to register.

For more information on this issue, visit the Center for Coalfield Justice and the Physicians for Social Responsibility - PA website.

Bill To Increase Setback Safety Zones

On September 18, Senators Steven Santasiero (D-Bucks) and Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, announced they were introducing legislation to increase setback safety zones from shale natural gas drilling sites based on the latest science.

The legislation would increase the distance from buildings and water wells from 500 to 2,500 feet and to 5,000 feet from reservoirs, schools and hospitals.   Read more here.

Health Dept. Invites Citizens To File Health Complaints

On September 1, The Center Square reported the state Department of Health is inviting citizens to file environmental health complaints related to natural gas development.

The invitation was being made “In the wake of a recent state-commissioned report from the University of Pittsburgh that investigated a possible link between cancer, asthma and natural gas development, the Department of Health said the online complaint form will guide residents through the process and make it easier for the state to respond.”  Read more here.

NewsClips - Health Studies:

-- Warren Times: Natural Gas Well Setbacks Questioned After Health Impact Studies

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Residents Call For Action After Pitt Study Links Natural Gas Development To Asthma, Childhood Lymphoma

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Residents Call For Action After Health Studies Link Natural Gas Development To Asthma, Lymphoma

-- The Center Square: Natural Gas Well Setbacks May Not Be Protective Enough After Health Impact Study Results 

-- Post-Gazette: Processing Research On Southwestern PA Natural Gas Development And Health, Residents Seek Answers Together: ‘We Deserve Better’

-- TribLive: Environmental Advocates Weight In On State Dept. Of Health, Pitt Study Of Natural Gas Development Health Impacts

-- Inquirer - Will Bunch: Does Anyone Care About The Study Linking PA Natural Gas Development To Cancer In Kids? 

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Who Pays For Natural Gas Development’s Harm?  Pennsylvania Should Acknowledge The Clear Fact That Fracking Has Hurt People, Specifically Children  [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Health Depends On Regulation Of Oil & Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Studies Of Natural Gas Development Point To Health Costs

-- Bedford Gazette Editorial: Natural Gas Development is Making Pennsylvanians Sick, Lawmakers Must Act 

-- Tribune-Democrat Guest Editorial: Natural Gas Development Making Pennsylvanians Sick, Lawmakers Must Act

-- Inquirer Editorial: Natural Gas Development Is Making Pennsylvanians Sick, Lawmakers Must Act 

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Leaders Aren’t Helpless And Must Take Action To Protect Constituents From Natural Gas Development Health Impacts - By Tom Pike, Penn Twp., Westmoreland County

-- The Daily Item Guest Essay: Is Natural Gas Development Good For Pennsylvania? $3.8 Billion In PA Taxpayer Subsidies; University Of Pittsburgh Health Studies; Methane Leaks; Jobs Decline - By Sandy Field, Climate Reality Project - Susquehanna Valley Chapter

-- University Of Pittsburgh News: Pitt Studies Link Unconventional Natural Gas Development To Childhood Cancer, Asthma Attacks 

-- Public Source: ‘It’s Just Too Close:’ People Living Near Natural Gas Drilling, Industrial Facilities Suffer As State And Local Governments Fail To Buffer Homes

-- Observer-Reporter: State, County Elected Leaders Take Proactive Steps To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells

-- What It’s Like To Raise A Family In The Most Fracked County In PA - Washington County: PA Physicians For Social Responsibility [Video]

-- Uncontrolled Natural Gas Emissions From Equitrans Steelhead Compressor Station, Washington County: PA Physicians For Social Responsibility [Video]

Related Articles - Health Studies:

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights  [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’  [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Invites Citizens To File Environmental Health Complaints Related To Natural Gas Development; Health Will Also Review Environmental Test Results  [PaEN] 

-- Between The Lines Podcast: Pediatrician Dr. Ned Ketyer Explains The Results Of New Studies Of The Health Impacts Of Natural Gas Development On Children And Adults  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Finds Results ‘Very Concerning’ From University Of Pittsburgh Studies Showing Links Between Natural Gas Development And Lymphoma Cancer, Worsening Asthma Conditions, Lower Birth Weights  [PaEN]

-- Republican Rep. Krupa Introduces HB 1656 To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells To Protect The Public From Radioactive, Toxic Materials  [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Industry Spills, Releases Created Over 575 New Brownfield Sites So Far In Pennsylvania, With More Every Week  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water May Have Led To ‘Inadvertently’ Using Contaminated Water For Fracking Gas Wells In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Marcellus Drilling News/The Allegheny Front: University Of Pittsburgh Study Finds At Least 800,000 Tons Of Oil & Gas Waste Sent To Landfills Unaccounted For In One Year; Oil & Gas Waste Adds To Radiation Accumulation In Stream Sediments  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 24 to 30 - Radiation Levels Prompt Shale Gas Wastewater Tank Decontamination; Replugging Conventional, Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Study: Potential Pollution Caused By Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Makes It Unsuitable For A Dust Suppressant, Washes Right Off The Road Into The Ditch  [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Study: Brine Water Pumped From Played-Out Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Used As Dust Suppressants, Winter Road Treatments Exceed Environmental, Health Standards, Just Like Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Water  [PaEN]

-- Petro Erie, Inc. Says It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; Will Taxpayers Be Stuck With Cleanup Costs Again?  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 23 to 29; More Abandoned Wells; Oil & Gas Doesn’t Typically Issue NOVs For ‘Routine’ Venting Of Natural Gas, Will Air Quality Under New Regs?  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - September 30   [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Title V Air Quality Permit For Eastern Gas Transmission Compressor Station In Westmoreland County At Oct. 31 Hearing  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 54 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 30 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

NewsClips This Week:

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro, The Fracking Clock Is Ticking - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch

-- AP: Gov. Shapiro Noncommittal On Greenhouse Gas Strategy As Climate Task Force Finishes Work

-- The Allegheny Front: EPA’s Approval Of 2nd Plum Boro Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well In  Allegheny County Raises Fears That More Are On The Way

-- Grist - Will Peischel: Inside The Rough-And-Tumble Race To Clean Up America’s Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells [PA Highlighted]

-- Planet Philadelphia Radio: Cleaning Up Our Energy Systems, Oct. 5 At 4:00 p.m.

-- Observer-Reporter: Pipeline Operator Faces $100,000 PUC Penalty For 2020 House Explosion In Greene County

-- WTAE: Natural Gas Pipeline Leak In Collier Twp., Allegheny County Forces People Out Of Their Homes

-- PUC Commissioner Kathryn Zerfuss Appointed To Presidential Task Force On Evolving Natural Gas Infrastructure Planning

-- Utility Dive: PJM Board Calls For Capacity Market Changes To Bolster Grid Reliability, Resource Adequacy

-- Guest Essay: EPA Further Threatens Grid Reliability By Reducing Carbon Pollution From Power Plants, Including Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the PA Senate Environmental Committee

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Marcellus Shale Gas Industry Coalition Highlights Natural Gas Industry’s Economic Impact In PA; Faces Bills Extending Safety Zones

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Industry Coalition: Natural Gas Generates $41 Billion In Economic Activity, Supports 123,000 Jobs, Produced $6.3 Billion In Landowner Royalties 

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Wraps Up Conference In Erie - Natural Gas Delivers For All Pennsylvanians

-- JDSupra: Federal Court In Ohio Makes Important Ruling On Post-Production Costs For Oil & Gas Leaseholders Under ‘Market Enhancement’ Clause

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Health Project: How DEP Issues Permits For Shale Gas Facilities Without Considering Cumulative Impacts - How New Facilities Will Add To Existing Pollution Loads And Impact The Area  [PaEN]

-- Member Of Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Briefs DCNR Advisory Council On Siting Of Shale Gas Well Pad On State Forest Land To Accommodate Taking Gas From Private Land In Tioga County  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Work Group Concludes A Cap-And-Invest Carbon Pollution Regulation Program Would Be Optimal Approach To Reducing Greenhouse Emissions From Power Plants; Scale Up Solar Energy  [PaEN]

-- On Sept. 27 Families Will Hold Town Hall Meeting In Washington County Seeking Policy Changes After Pitt Studies Link Natural Gas Development And Negative Health Outcomes  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: DEP Should Invest $33.6 Million In New Federal Funding Wisely To Plug  Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Not Reward The Industry For Bad Behavior  - By  Russell Zerbo, Clean Air Council  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Updates Times Of 2 Hearings On Interim Final Environmental Justice Policy To Accept Comments In Erie, Philadelphia  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Board Proposes Market Reforms Based Largely On Unreliability Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants During Winter Storm Elliot  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Files Proposed Winter Storm Elliot Settlement With Non-Performing Electric Generators With FERC, Requests Final Action By Dec. 29  [PaEN]

[Posted: September 25, 2023]  PA Environment Digest