Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said Wednesday it is time for the legislature to enact his legislation that would require the Department of Health to do more to protect the public from Marcellus Shale drilling hazards.

The Department of Health Monday announced significant reforms to its process for responding to environmental health concerns and complaints specifically related to Marcellus Shale drilling operations.

Rep. Vitali said recent developments – accusations that Health Department officials were told to ignore drilling-related health complaints, and a subsequent call from hundreds of health professionals to better track potential health effects from drilling – underscore the need for action on his legislation.

"I would ask my colleagues to call up House Bill 1579 when we return to session on Sept. 15," said Rep. Vitali, Democratic chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. "About 400 health care professionals this week called on the Corbett administration to better track health effects from gas drilling, and the legislature should heed their request by voting for my bill."

Rep. Vitali's legislation, the proposed Marcellus Public Health Protection Act, would require the state Health Department 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.

Rep. Vitali introduced the bill in June 2013, about a month after the House Democratic Policy Committee heard testimony from numerous health experts suggesting the legislation.

"There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of drilling-related illnesses, but we really don’t know the true extent of the problem," Rep. Vitali said. "My legislation would allow us to find out the extent of the problem."

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

In addition, the bill would clarify the physician “gag order” currently in place by allowing physicians to share confidential proprietary drilling information with other health professionals or regulatory agencies for health care purposes.

The bill has been in the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee since it was introduced.

NewsClips:

Health Officials Promise Better Response To Drilling Health Complaints

Dept. Of Health Will Note Fracking Complaints

Health Dept. Changes Shale Gas Complaint Procedures

Health Dept. Announces New Health Complaint Policy

Groups Call For Investigation In Handling Drilling Health Complaints

Investigation Of Health Dept.’s Fracking Health Complaint Policy Unlikely

State Health Department Probe Sought

Environmental Group Says Health Registry Needed

MD Takes Different Approach To Drilling-Related Health Issues

8/25/2014