Registration Open! PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Feb. 19 In Pittsburgh, Online

The PA League of Women Voters, Duquesne University and other partners will host the 2026 Shale Gas and Public Health Conference February 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Registration is now open for this Health Conference that brings together healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates to examine the intersection of shale gas development and public health impacts.

​The Conference features presentations, sessions, and discussions focused on understanding health risks, environmental concerns, and policy implications related to shale extraction activities.

Critical topics to be discussed include--

-- Research on childhood cancer and health studies

-- Advances in science related to shale gas and public health

-- Oil and gas policy — loopholes, legislation, and accountability

-- Community success stories and organizing for change

To register, for more information and updates, visit the Shale Gas and Public Health Conference webpage.

Resource Links:

-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough - House Hearing I: Shale Gas Industry Says Setbacks Won’t Protect Residents, Public Health, Environment From Shale Gas Operations, Only ‘Rigorous Oversight’ Will; Standards Have Not Changed In 9 Years  [PaEN] 

-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough- House Hearing II: As A Township Supervisor We Have An Obligation To Protect The Health, Safety And Welfare Of Our Township Residents From Shale Gas Development  [PaEN] 

-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough - House Hearing III: What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety, Truck Traffic  [PaEN] 

-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough:  42 Scientific Studies, 20+ Years Of Experience With Shale Gas Drilling In PA; A State Grand Jury Report; Criminal Convictions; Public Complaints; Lawsuits; Media Reports All Document The Need To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN] 

-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough: Environmental Groups Urge Environmental Quality Board To Accept Rulemaking Petition For Study Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN] 

-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setback Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts; From Physicians On Health Studies; The Gas Industry On Job Impacts  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act  [June 2022]

-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Calls Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’  [October 2023] 

Resource Links - Health, Environmental Impacts:

-- 2025 PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Attended By Nearly 480 People Featured Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [February 2025]

-- Presentations Now Available From 2022 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference In Nov. Hosted By PA League Of Women Voters & University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health [December 2022]

-- Environmental Health Project Releases New White Paper: PA's Shale Gas - What We Can Do Now To Better Protect Public Health  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Lois Bower-Bjornson Shares Her First-Hand Experiences With Shale Gas Health, Environmental Impacts In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- 7 Years Ago, People From Over 70 Households Gave First-Hand Accounts Of How The PA Shale Gas Industry Impacted Their Health, Lives And Communities To A State Grand Jury Describing The ‘Sometimes Harsh Reality’ Of These Operations  [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’  [August 2023] 

-- 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  [August 2023]

-- State Dept. Of Health Invites Citizens To File Environmental Health Complaints Related To Natural Gas Development; Health Will Also Review Environmental Test Results  [September 2023]

-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development  [November 2023] 

-- Part I - Environmental Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction  [January 2025]

-- Part II - Health Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction  [March 2025]

-- New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes [April 2023]

-- Fact Sheet: How Oil and Gas Operations Impact Your Baby’s Health

-- Frackland Video Tour, with Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council

-- 9th Compendium Of Studies On Health & Environmental Harms From Natural Gas Development Released - ‘The Rapidly Expanding Body Of Evidence Compiled Here Is Massive, Troubling And Cries Out For Decisive Action’ [October 2023]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard- Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 6  [PaEN]

     -- DEP Invites Comments On Revised Oil & Gas Erosion & Sedimentation, Stormwater Management Technical Guidance  [PaEN] 

     -- DEP Accepting Comments On Air Quality Permit For Hill Top Energy Center Natural Gas Power Plant In Greene County To Feed A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN]

     -- DEP Invites Comments On Air Permit To Uprate 3 Natural Gas Turbines At Hummel Station Power Plant In Snyder County To Feed A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN]

     -- DEP Proposes To Renew Air Quality Permit For Constellation Energy Oil-Fired Falls Generation Station In Bucks County  [PaEN] 

     -- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 76 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In September & October; 398 In 2025  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 75 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 6 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week: 

-- Registration Open!  PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Feb. 19 In Pittsburgh, Online  [PaEN]

-- PA Trout Unlimited, Keystone Trails Assn., Responsible Drilling Alliance Request DEP To Hold Hearing On Permit For PA General Energy 3.9 Mile Shale Gas Access Road/Staging Area In Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County  [PaEN] 

-- EPA's Delay Of Oil & Gas Industry Methane Emissions Reductions Harms Pennsylvanians; Reactions From PA, Related Groups  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office: Quarterly PA Natural Gas Production Up 5.1% From Last Year; Natural Gas Price Up 51.4%  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Approves Reduced Columbia Gas Rate Hike Of 6.05%, And A Per Month Residential Customer Charge Increase Of 33%  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- PA Capital-Star: Watchdog For PJM Electric Grid Wants A Pause On A.I. Data Centers

-- The Guardian: Cooking With Natural Gas Gets More Expensive As Americans Face Rising Prices Into 2026: 4% For Residential Users, 21% For Industrial, 37% For Power Generators 

-- Reuters Opinion: High And Rising Natural Gas Costs May Spur Fresh Climb In US Coal Use

-- Bloomberg: There’s Too Much Oil: Who Are The Winners And Losers?  

-- Broad & Liberty Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Needs More Energy And Sensible Regulation To Lure A.I. Data Centers - Gordon Tomb, Commonwealth Foundation [PA Is Already Flooded With Proposals, Electric Bills, Natural Gas Bills Surging As A Result]

-- The Allegheny Front: Ohio Landfills Take Shale Gas Drilling Waste, But Don’t Track Or Test Much Of It  [PA Info Included]

[Posted: December 6, 2025]  PA Environment Digest