PA Environment Digest Blog: Environmental Health Project: 34 Organizations Sign Letter Urging Pennsylvania To Adopt Measures To Better Protect Public Health, Environment From The Impacts Of Shale Gas Drilling

On May 8, the Environmental Health Project released a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro signed by 34 organizations and 104 individuals urging Pennsylvania to adopt the recommendations the Environmental Health Project made in its white paper, “Pennsylvania’s Shale Gas Boom: What the Shapiro Administration Can Do to Better Protect Public Health.”

EHP’s white paper, released at a virtual event on April 1, is a call to action to the governor—and indeed to government at all levels—to heed the Pennsylvania Constitution and deliver to residents the clean air and pure water they have been promised. Read more here.

The recommendations serve to support a much-needed transition to a renewable energy economy, which will involve creating sustainable jobs, reducing health impacts and health care costs associated with the shale gas industry, and saving lives.

“Over the past 20 years, enough research studies and investigations have been done to clearly demonstrate many of the health risks posed by shale gas development,” said Alison L. Steele, EHP’s executive director. “Any call for more studies should not preclude swift and meaningful action on the part of our government.

“Now is the time for Gov. Shapiro and his administration to recognize the preponderance of evidence that already exists and take reasonable steps to defend the health of our residents from oil and gas pollution,” said Steele. “In doing so, he can address legitimate concerns that exist with respect to Pennsylvania’s public health but also its environmental and economic health.”

Pennsylvania residents impacted by the vast network of shale gas infrastructure-- wells, compressor stations, processing plants, pipelines, truck traffic, etc.-- had every reason to expect that Gov. Shapiro and his administration, once in office, would work hard to defend their health from sources of pollution.

Two years later, residents are still waiting for meaningful action.

This white paper addresses progress and shortcomings of the administration while offering recommendations for what the governor and his administration can do better to protect residents’ health.

Among the recommendations made in the white paper are--

-- Increase setback distances from shale gas infrastructure.

-- Publicly disclose all chemicals used in shale gas development.

-- Develop a comprehensive plan for preventing fossil fuel pollution exposure, relying on existing epidemiologic research and the missions of your state agencies.

-- Address cumulative emissions when permitting sites.

-- Increase funding for state agencies to better fulfill their missions.

-- Initiate more transparency and interaction with impacted communities.

-- Take a precautionary approach to petrochemicals, blue hydrogen, and LNG.

-- Work boldly and creatively to transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable forms of energy.

Click Here for a copy of the white paper.

Approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live within a half mile of oil and gas wells. Millions more live within a half mile of a pipeline, compressor station, processing facility, or other shale gas infrastructure, raising health risks for those individuals, their families, and their neighbors.

Yet, every Pennsylvania resident is impacted by climate change, from more frequent and intense storms and floods, to heat waves and Lyme disease.

Pollution from the oil and gas industry is a major contributor to that climate change.

The letter was sent to Gov. Shapiro on April 29 along with a copy of the paper.

EHP followed up with the governor’s staff via email on May 7, requesting that the governor meet with nonprofit community groups and impacted residents.

Click Here for the Environmental Health Project announcement.

The Environmental Health Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public health organization that defends public health in the face of shale gas development.

EHP provides frontline communities with timely monitoring, interpretation, and guidance while engaging diverse stakeholders: health professionals, researchers, community organizers, policy makers, and others.

Resources Links - Compliance:

-- Criminal Convictions; Record Penalties, Restitution Of Over $158.3 Million Highlight Big Shale Gas, Related Petrochemical Industry Compliance History In Pennsylvania [March 2025]

-- DEP Reports 575 Water Supply/Stray Gas Complaints About Oil & Gas Operations In Last 2 Years; Investigation Can Take A Year, Sometimes 2-3 To Find Those Responsible [March 2025]

-- Daily Grind Living Next To Oil & Gas Industry: Spills, Polluted Water Supplies, Smells Like Gas, Noise, Air Pollution, Explosions, Truck Traffic, Erosion, Radioactive Waste, Gas Flares, Dust, Lights, Road Dumping Waste, Abandoned Wells [March 2025]

-- 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]

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

-- DEP To Recommend Environmental Quality Board Accept A Petition For Study To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells At April 8 Meeting [March 2025]

-- Environmental Quality Board Tables Vote On Accepting Petition For Study To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells Until Last Minute Comments Can Be Reviewed [April 2025]

-- PA American Water Identifies Water Source For New Public Water System To Replace Water Wells Contaminated By Shale Gas Fracking 20 Years Ago In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County [March 2025]

-- House Environmental Committee Reports Out Bill To Require DEP To Consider Cumulative Impacts Of Certain New Sources Of Pollution On Already Impacted Communities [April 2025]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Continue To Push DEP To Legalize Road Dumping Their Wastewater [April 2025]

-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [April 2025]