PA Environment Digest Blog: State Health Plan Identified Oil & Gas Development As Health Risk Last Year; Environmental Health Indicators Map Is Now Available To Show Potential Risks Near You

In April of 2023, the state Department of Health issued an updated Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan that identified Environmental Health, and specifically oil and gas development, as a rising risk to public health. Read more here.

In August of 2023, the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, with funding from the Department of Health, released the results of health studies in Southwestern Pennsylvania that found gas development activities make asthma worse and children have an increased chance of developing lymphoma cancer, among other findings. Read more here.

At the August 15 public meeting presenting the study results, Kristen Rodack, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Health Department, apologized to residents for not listening to the community about their health concerns related to gas development and promised to do better in the future. Read more here.

The Health Department specifically invited citizens to file environmental health complaints related to gas development so they could investigate them. Click Here to file a complaint. Read more here.

The Department also said its staff will be available to help review environmental test results from DEP or an accredited lab to help interpret the results for citizens. Read more here.

During the November 2023 League of Women Voters - University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health Shale Gas & Public Health Conference, Kristen Rodack from the Health Department said her agency was using the results of the University of Pittsburgh studies to push “governments and other folks to take action on some of the potential exposures that’s happening from the industry.” Read more here.

Specifically, Rodack said her agency was working to educate health care workers to recognize the signs of gas-related health impacts; taking steps to reduce asthma in schools near gas facilities; improve the information available to the public on gas-related health risks; and conduct a new health literature review on gas health risks to provide the latest information to health providers. Read more here.

Environmental Health Indicators Map

The state Department of Health now has available an interactive, online Environmental Health Indicators Map that displays environmental, social demographic, and public health data related to a variety of environmental health concerns.

Map features, referred to as environmental health indicators, were selected to show where manufacturing, extraction [oil and gas development], waste, transportation, and other infrastructure is located, who resides in those areas, and how healthy those residents are.

It brings together information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and several federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Department of Health said the map can be used to make better public health decisions and design evidence-based interventions.

Among other facilities presenting public health risks, the map can be configured to show unconventional shale gas wells, conventional oil and gas wells, gas and hazardous liquid interstate and intrastate pipelines, petroleum product pipelines, pipeline compressor stations, natural gas underground storage areas and other facilities.

Map users can put in their address or a place near them and find out what kinds of facilities presenting environmental health risks are near.

Click Here for an explanation of the tools and capabilities of the map.

Click Here for a technical guide on data used in the map and how often it is updated.

The Environmental Health Indicators Map is a joint project of the Environmental Health Capacity Program and Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, both funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health.

Questions about the map should be directed to: dehe@pa.gov or call 717-787-3350.

Oil & Gas Health Concerns

Visit the Department of Health’s Oil and Natural Gas Production Health Concerns webpage for more background on oil and gas health issues, a list of environmental health physician partners available for consultations and other resources.

Click Here for a list of FAQs on oil and gas health impacts.

Questions should be directed to: env.health.concern@pa.gov or call 717-787-3350.

(Map: Just some of the oil and gas facilities in Pennsylvania.)

Resource Links:

-- 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 [PaEN]

-- 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]

-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development [PaEN]

-- Videos Now Available From PA League Of Women Voters, University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Shale Gas & Public Health Conference; Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts [PaEN]

-- Sen. Camera Bartolotta: PA Should Be Producing 4 Times The Gas We Are Now, Exporting It Around The World: ‘We Just Need To Get Government The Hell Out Of The Way’ [PaEN] [Oil & Gas Health, Regulatory Issues Resource Links]

-- PA Environment Digest Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts