Mapping the Invisible Threat: Emissions from Oil and Gas

DYLAN GORDONPublished September 1, 2024

Key Findings

New technologies and mapping tools can be used to reveal the full scope of the problem of hazardous air pollution, such as data from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel-5 satellite.

Hotspot analysis identifies areas of concern for emissions of pollutants including methane, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols across Pennsylvania.

Emissions reduction strategies should target high-emissions areas, particularly in the Oakford and Roaring Run areas in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Introduction

Pennsylvania’s landscapes are a complex mix of natural beauty and industrial infrastructure. From dense forests to sprawling farmlands, this state has long been a battleground for energy development, particularly in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors. While these industries have fueled the economy, they have also left behind a legacy of pollution that threatens communities, ecosystems, and public health. What’s most alarming is that much of this pollution is hidden—leaking from abandoned wells, seeping from pipelines, and wafting invisibly into the air. In this research project, Environmental Health Fellow Dylan Gordon combines satellite technology with geospatial analysis to understand current emissions in Pennsylvania.

Mapping the Invisible Threat: Emissions from Oil and Gas

This StoryMap layers satellite data on air pollution with the locations of oil and gas infrastructure in Pennsylvania—such as wells, pipelines, and processing plants—to pinpoint where the pollution originates and how closely it’s tied to industrial activities.

View Full Size Map | Updated 9/1/2024

About the Author

Dylan Gordon is the 2024 Environmental Health Fellow at FracTracker Alliance. Dylan‘s time at the University of Pittsburgh played a key role in fostering his passion for environmental issues. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Geosciences at the University of Pennsylvania and Environmental Management at Mines Paris – PSL.

At FracTracker, Dylan’s role as the 2024 environmental health fellow involved analyzing environmental health issues associated with oil, gas, and petrochemical development. Being tasked with extensive geo-spatial data collection, processing, and analysis to assess the environmental impacts of these industries, Dylan focused on identifying key areas where interventions can mitigate the negative environmental health effects of hazardous gas emissions.

Dylan’s research at FracTracker centers on using remote sensing or satellite data to track emissions across Pennsylvania’s numerous oil and gas wells. By pinpointing areas with the highest concentration of emissions, he aims to provide actionable insights that can guide targeted mitigation strategies. This approach helps ensure that resources are directed toward the most critical areas, improving environmental monitoring and management within the state.

Learn about the more than 100,000 oil and gas site violations in Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2003 and how those violations overwhelmingly relate to environmental health and safety.

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