Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, has introduced House Bill 1579 (text not yet online) which would determine what impacts Marcellus Shale drilling has on human health and would allow doctors to better treat drilling-related ailments.

“Right now there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of drilling-related illnesses but we really don’t know the true extent of the problem. This bill will help us find out,” said Rep. Vitali.

The proposed Marcellus Public Health Protection Act would require the Department of Health to establish a surveillance system that would collect, analyze and disseminate health data on unconventional gas operations.

It also would require the Health Department to compare the health of residents in an area of intense drilling with a control area, and conduct a long-term study on the health impacts of unconventional gas operations.

Dr. Bernard Goldstein, professor and dean emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Health, is an expert on Marcellus Shale-related health issues. He said Vitali's legislation is desperately needed.

"Despite clearly voiced public concerns about the possible health impacts of Marcellus Shale activities, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been completely out of the picture," Goldstein said. "It is past time for the department to perform its standard function of responding to public health concerns of Pennsylvania's citizens and health professionals by setting up a registry of citizen's complaints."

The bill also would require drillers to disclose chemicals that were not intentionally added or occur incidentally during drilling operations. Disclosure of these fluids is currently not required.

"It is unconscionable that Act 13 permits industry to hide information on the many chemicals and radionuclides present in the literally millions of gallons of flowback water that is brought to the surface from every hydrofracturing site," Goldstein said.

And, the bill would require a provision in Marcellus leases notifying lessors of the potential adverse health impacts of living near drilling activities.

The bill has 22 co-sponsors and bipartisan support.  Click Here for a summary of the bill.

The bill is the result of a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing Rep. Vitali hosted in May during which a panel of experts, including Goldstein, offered numerous suggestions to make Marcellus Shale gas drilling safer to people and the environment.

Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) has introduced Senate Bill 555 on the same issue.

6/24/2013