Are you interested in tracking environmental violations of natural gas infrastructure in your community? Or are you simply curious about the natural gas and petrochemical industries in Appalachia?
If so, we invite you to help test interactive mapping tools designed to address these questions.
A research team of geographers at Penn State is seeking feedback from Pennsylvania residents to test mapping tools we developed and make them more useful and accessible for Pennsylvania residents affected by natural gas and petrochemical development.
What does participation involve?
Participants will be asked to--
-- Use an interactive mapping tool to explore emissions and violations data associated with different components of Pennsylvania's natural gas and petrochemical infrastructure
-- Review a Story Map about the Appalachian natural gas and petrochemical industry
-- Complete a brief survey about what you learned
-- The study will take approximately 2 hours
No prior experience with mapping tools is needed.
Why Participate?
By participating in the study, participants will--
-- Learn more about the various natural gas and petrochemical infrastructures built around Pennsylvania and their environmental impacts
-- Help the research team to better understand the accuracy and possible gaps in publicly available datasets
-- Share your knowledge on how best to map and visualize energy infrastructure data to inform the public
Who can participate?
You are eligible if you--
-- Are over 18 years old
-- Are willing and able to participate in a two-hour session in person (the research team is willing to travel throughout the state of Pennsylvania)
Study Details
-- The study will be held in person at a community space near you, such as a library or university building
-- Two-hour participation sessions will be available throughout summer and early fall 2026; the research team will contact you to identify a specific date
-- Participants will be provided with light refreshments and a $25 Panera gift card in compensation for their time.
-- Participant identities and feedback will be anonymized and kept strictly confidential.
Interested in participating?
Sign Up
To sign up for a time slot and complete a short eligibility survey, please follow this link. For any questions about the study, please contact Dr. Jennifer Baka at jeb525@psu.edu.
Click Here for the Penn State announcement.
Resource Link:
-- Oil & Gas Threat Map: Released By Earthworks and FracTracker Alliance To Find Oil & Gas Infrastructure Near You
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard
-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC LLC [EQT] Suffers Another Contaminated Water Release From Buried Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline In Aleppo Twp., Greene County [PaEN]
-- DEP: INR Midstream LLC Failed To Prevent Accelerated Erosion, Sedimentation Along Cooper To Jost Van Dyke Gas & Water Pipelines Construction Right-Of-Way In Young Twp., Indiana County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Contaminated Water Storage Tank At Abandoned Conventional Oil Well Site Sat Broken Open For Nearly 3 Years With No Response From Owner In Clover Twp., Jefferson County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Raymond D. Langer Fails To Clean Up Contaminated Water Spills, Address Other Violations, Comply With DEP Order For 1,283 Days [PaEN]
-- DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 25 [PaEN]
-- DEP To Adopt Regulations Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Infrastructure; Will Outline Approach At Aug. 6 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Meeting [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Appalachia Midstream Services Natural Gas Pipeline In Elkland Twp., Sullivan County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On MarkWest Liberty Midstream Project To Daylight 4 Natural Gas Pipelines To Prevent Damage From Longwall Coal Mining In West Finley Twp., Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Daylighting Project For 30-Inch Natural Gas Pipeline To Prevent Longwall Coal Mining Damage In Greene County [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 21 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In June; 188 In 2026 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 54 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 25 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- Governor’s Office Published Regulatory Agenda, DEP Published Non-Regulatory (Technical Guidance) Agenda To Provide Opportunities For Public Involvement [PaEN]
-- Appalachian Transmission Company (FirstEnergy) - Milesburg 230KV Transmission Line Upgrade Project: DEP invites comments on Individual Stormwater Permit for a transmission line upgrade project located in Mifflinburg Borough, Centre County. (PA Bulletin, page 4412) Read more here.
-- Constellation Energy Generation LLC - Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant: DEP issued storage tank permits for two aboveground tanks-- 200,000 gallons and 50,000 gallon-- at the facility located in Londonderry Twp., Dauphin County. (PA Bulletin, page 4446)
Related Articles This Week:
-- DEP To Adopt Regulations Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Infrastructure; Will Outline Approach At Aug. 6 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Meeting [PaEN]
-- The Conversation: Pennsylvania Roads Are Being Coated In Radioactive Oil & Gas Wastewater - New DEP Well Permit Allows Uncontrolled Use [PaEN]
-- Penn State Geography Researchers Want Your Help To Develop Tool To Help Public Better Identify Threats To Health, Environment From Oil & Gas Development [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Spotlight PA: Josh Shapiro Built National Fame On Getting Things Done, But His Full Record Is Complex
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas
-- Sen. Yaw: Bill Signed Into Law To Ensure Responsible Solar Development [No Provisions Like This In Place For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants, A.I. Data Centers, Natural Gas Processing Plants, Pipelines, Compressor Stations And Other Infrastructure Presenting Real Hazards]
-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34%
-- EQT Natural Gas Releases 2025 Sustainability Report: ‘Built For What’s Next’
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas Hits Net-Zero Emissions For 2nd Straight Year For Natural Gas Production
-- Financial Times: Oil Hits $100 For First Time Since May
[Posted: July 23, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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