Media Contact:
Justin Wasser, jwasser@earthworks.org, 202.753.7016
Background: On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health released three observational epidemiological studies finding harmful impacts on asthma, birth outcomes and childhood cancers. The studies were conducted over the last three years. The findings reinforce an extensive body of evidence connecting living near unconventional gas development with a number of poor health outcomes. The studies’ findings include a 4-5x greater chance of an asthma attack, a 5-7 fold greater chance of children developing lymphoma when living within 1 mile of a well, and a small effect on fetal growth due to proximity to fracking.
Statement by Melissa Ostroff, Earthworks Pennsylvania Policy and Field Advocate:
“Families deserve to know the risks the oil & gas industry has exposed them to for more than a decade since the commonwealth went full steam ahead with fracking. It is heartbreaking that Pennsylvania continues to grant new permits for well pads in close proximity to schools and homes in spite of numerous studies finding clear risks associated with pollution from the oil and gas industry and the lived experiences shared by frontline families.
“We have more than enough evidence to know that this industry should be no place near where children live, learn, and play. These study results continue to demonstrate the obvious need for much greater distances between fracking and families and, ultimately, a transition away from this dirty industry.”
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