PA Environment Digest Blog: The Allegheny Front: Allegheny County Health Dept. To Make Recommendations On How To Better Protect Residents From Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development

On March 19, Allegheny Front reporter Julie Grant posted an article about how a committee formed by the Allegheny County Health Department is developing recommendations on how to better protect residents from the health impacts of shale gas development.

There are 225 active shale gas wells located on 30 well pads in Allegheny County.

The Committee held a meeting March 18 to hear comments on the issues.

“We know that there are toxic compounds released as part of unconventional natural gas and oil extraction [fracking],” committee member Dr. Graham Snyder told the full board on Wednesday. “We know those compounds can be associated biologically with health effects.”

“What we need to do…is [understand] what changes can we recommend in the county, statutorily,” Snyder said, “that would give us the best bang for the buck, figuratively speaking, in improving health outcomes.”

At the meeting, board member Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, professor and academic chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel University, asked the committee to also look at the health care costs related to fracking in the county.

“What does it cost for an infant to be hospitalized because they’ve experienced this toxin? How much does it cost to actually take care of that infant?” she asked. “What is the cost of the number of deaths that may occur to a head of a household, now sends the entire family into poverty?”

Click Here to read the entire article.

Visit the Allegheny Front website for more reporting on environmental issues impacting Pennsylvania.

(Photos: top- Range Resources Augustine Drill Pad in Cecil Township; Augustine Drill Pad showing scale of operation; bottom- Map of Shale gas wells (red dots), conventional oil and gas wells (blue/green dots) in Cecil Township (DEP Oil & Gas Program); 523 feet from nearest house; Well pad gas flare from bedroom window near Augustine well pad (WTAE). Other photos Courtesy of The Energy Age Blog.)

2026 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference:

-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Dr. Gary Allison - 75% Of Shale Gas Chemical Disclosure Listings Hide What’s In 200 Million Pounds Of Materials Used In PA Fracking; A Colorado Law Would Fix That [PaEN]

-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Supervisor Cindy Fisher - How Cecil Township Adopted 2,500 Foot Setbacks From Shale Gas Well Pads With Extensive Public Involvement Facing Threats And Intimidation [PaEN]

-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Dr. Lauren Minsky - People’s Cancer Incidence Screening Tool Reports Cancer Rates In Washington County Up To 16 Times Higher Than PA Averages [PaEN]

Resource Links - Setbacks:

-- Environmental Quality Board Votes To Accept Petition To Study An Increase In Setback Safety Zones From Shale Gas Wells; And 3 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry To Change Other Requirements [12.9.25]

-- 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: Michelle Stonemark Tells What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety - In Cecil Twp., Washington County [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]