Pennsylvania Sacrificing Public Health, Environment to Fuel Fossil Fuel Industry: Report

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/07/pennsylvania-sacrificing-public-health-environment-fuel-fossil-fuel-industry-report



Marcellus Shale rig and gas well operation in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Sacrificing Public Health, Environment to Fuel Fossil Fuel Industry: Report
Deirdre Fulton, staff writer
August 07, 2014
Common Dreams

On the heels of news that natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale hit an all-time high in July, as well as the revelation that new fracking wastewater leaks have contaminated groundwater and soil south of Pittsburgh, the environmental non-profit Earthworks released a report Wednesday documenting the failure of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to oversee the rapid expansion of oil and gas drilling.

&quot O)ur findings indicate that Pennsylvania is making a choice to sacrifice the health of its communities and environment in the interest of supporting and rapidly expanding the gas and oil industry," says the report, titled Blackout in the Gas Patch: How Pennsylvania Residents are Left in the Dark on Health and Enforcement (pdf).

It continues:

Not only is it very difficult for residents to know whether a nearby operation poses risks to their health and families, and why, but regulators themselves are not capable of reliably answering that question. In the midst of a statewide rush to drill, DEP is unable to sufficiently respond to citizen concerns, conduct inspections and investigations, collect the information needed to enforce regulations, and uphold the agency’s own mandate.

After reviewing everything from permits and testing results to facility records and maps, Earthworks concludes that: there are huge information gaps related to the extent and effects of air and water pollution; water contamination from oil and gas operations is likely understated; residents bear a heavy burden of proof of contamination; and waste management procedures don't comply with regulations.