Observational studies find strong associations between hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and health risks, including respiratory issues and increased risk of childhood cancer.
Key Findings
Data show approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live within a half mile of oil and gas wells, compressors, and processors.
Immediate action is needed to protect public health in communities impacted by fracking.
Overview
In 2020, the former Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, awarded a $2.5 million contract to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to research the health risks of exposure to hydraulic fracturing in an eight-country region of southwestern Pennsylvania. Commonly known as “fracking,” hydraulic fracturing is a process used to extract oil and gas from underground wells that has been repeatedly shown to negatively impact human health and environmental quality.
The three taxpayer-funded studies were commissioned in response to concerns raised by residents of Washington and Westmoreland counties in 2019, who urged state regulators to examine the potential link between fracking and the unexplained uptick in rare cancers and other health issues in the region.
After years of research, in August 2023, the findings were released at a public meeting hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health (DOH) and the University of Pittsburgh. According to the results, the three observational studies revealed significant associations between fracked gas development and negative health outcomes in the eight-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania, including an increase in hospitalizations due to asthma, a heightened risk of childhood cancers, and low birth weight and preterm births.
Though the oil and gas industry has maintained that fracking is safe, the studies contribute to a rapidly growing body of evidence that correlates fracking with a wide range of health issues. A compendium of investigations into the risks and harms associated with fracking, published in 2022, cited a staggering 2,239 peer-reviewed papers that have identified evidence of harm since 2014, with nearly 1,000 of those papers published after 2018.
According to data, approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live within a half mile of oil and gas wells, compressors, and processors. That number increases if you include those living near fracking waste treatment sites. For areas like southwestern Pennsylvania, where many residents live in close proximity to fracking activities, the results of these studies further underscore the urgency of understanding and addressing potential health risks associated with fracking operations.
Oil and Gas Threat Map
This interactive map plots the location of all active oil and gas production facilities in the United States. The map draws a half mile health threat radius around all of those facilities and to find the number of residents, and enrolled students and schools they attend, within that health threat radius.
To turn layers on and off in the map, use the menu at the bottom left to select or deselect layer categories. The search box at the top right to search for your home or school to find out if you’re at elevated risk for exposure.
View Full Size Map
wells, processors, and compressors
threatened people in Pennsylvania
What did the studies find?
The results of the three observational epidemiological studies in southwestern Pennsylvania showed concerning associations between exposure to fracked gas activities and adverse health outcomes, including an increased risk of asthma-related hospitalizations, rare childhood cancers, and adverse birth outcomes.
Asthma
Perhaps the most alarming finding emerged from the asthma study. Researchers discovered a robust association between fracked gas production and severe exacerbations, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for asthma among individuals living within 10 miles of active gas wells. Specifically, those with asthma were found to have a four to five times greater risk of experiencing asthma attacks in proximity to fracking operations during the production phase. Notably, no such link was established during the well preparation, drilling, or hydraulic fracturing phases.
Dr. Ned Ketyer, a retired pediatrician who sat on an advisory board for the study, called the asthma findings a “bombshell.” Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition affecting people of all ages, can lead to debilitating breathing difficulties, missed school and work, high medical costs, and even premature death. The study’s findings underscore the significance of the association between fracking activities and asthma exacerbations, particularly during the production phase. With approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians residing within a half mile of oil and gas wells, the implications of these findings extend far beyond the immediate vicinity of fracking sites.
Pediatric Cancers
Another distressing revelation emerged from the pediatric cancer study. The results indicated that children living within one mile of active gas wells had a startling five to seven times higher risk of developing lymphoma, a relatively rare form of cancer. The risk was found to be most pronounced in areas with greater intensity of fracked gas activities. This finding sent shockwaves through communities, as many families in Pennsylvania live well within a mile of fracking sites, due to the current legal setback distance of only 500 feet from residences.
The study did not establish a significant correlation between gas wells and other rare cancers like leukemia, central nervous system tumors, and bone tumors including Ewing’s family of tumors, leaving many frustrated that we still don’t have answers for the high number of Ewing Sarcoma cases in the area. At the presentation of the study’s results, many residents were upset that the study did not incorporate field work and biomonitoring that could have tested for the presence of carcinogens in the environment and people’s bodies.
Given the high number of active shale gas wells in Washington County, where no resident lives more than 10 miles from a fracking site, the potential impact on the health of local communities cannot be understated.
Birth Outcomes
The third study examined birth outcomes in areas near fracking operations. Pregnant people living in proximity to these sites were found to have an increased risk of delivering babies with low birth weights and who were small for gestational age. These conditions can have significant long-term health implications for the affected children. Notably, the researchers also identified a connection between high levels of particulate air pollution and premature births, reinforcing the broader impact of poor air quality on maternal and fetal health.
What can be done about it?
The findings of these studies have profound implications for public health and policy. With dozens of peer-reviewed epidemiological studies and thousands of scientific reports and investigations already documenting the potential harm of fracking on human health, the results of the University of Pittsburgh studies provide further evidence of the risks associated with fracked gas development.
The data emphasize that residents living near fracking operations face increased health risks, including respiratory issues, cancer, and adverse birth outcomes.
In light of these findings, community and health organizations are urging immediate action to protect public health. Organizations engaged in protecting residents from further health harms have proposed the following proactive measures:
- Governments should hold industry accountable for pollution that harms residents and hastens climate change by increasing regulatory oversight of oil and gas activities and enforcing more stringent industry reporting requirements
- The Pennsylvania General Assembly should fully fund agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Health (DOH) soregulatory agencies can most effectively Pennsylvania’s resources and the health of residents.
- The Pennsylvania DOH and the DEP should be required to work more closely and transparently with impacted communities to provide residents with health-protective strategies.
- To protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians, the legislature and Governor Shapiro should enact the eight recommendations made in the Grand Jury Report investigating the state’s shale gas industry. Governor Shapiro released this report in 2020 when he was Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, such as extending protective buffers from homes, schools, childcare centers, nursing homes, and other sensitive receptors.
- The Pennsylvania DOH and DEP should work together and with federal agencies to conduct comprehensive health impact assessments on shale gas development in affected areas, particularly those with a high concentration of low-income, minority, and other vulnerable populations.
- Health systems and first responders should be better prepared for accidents, leaks, explosions, and other health impacts caused by the oil and gas industry.
The Takeaway
As the implications of these studies reverberate across local, national, and global media outlets, the urgency to take health-protective measures cannot be understated. The accumulating evidence calls for swift action by policymakers, regulatory agencies, and the public to mitigate the potential health risks associated with fracking.
References & Where to Learn More
- Read the full study results published by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
- Read our joint statement on the findings.
- Get involved with local advocacy efforts in southwestern Pennsylvania.
- If you think that your health or environment has been negatively impacted by fracking operations, contact:
- For an emergency requiring immediate local police, fire, or emergency medical services, always call 911 first.
- To report a spill or other emergency in PA, contact the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP): 1-800-541-2050 or report to your regional office. In Southwestern PA, call 412-442-4000.
- PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Environmental Complaint Line (PA only): 1-888-723-3721 or online. (To find your state environmental or health agency, click here.)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Violations form online.
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