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.
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 project of the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, 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.
Quarterly reports are available on the individuals who reported health concerns from oil and gas operations to the Department of Health.
Click Here for the latest report.
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.
How To File A Report On Health Concern
Click Here to report an Environmental Health Concern.
Resource Links:
-- 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]
[Posted: July 7, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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