On October 12, the Protective Buffers PA Coalition launched an initiative to educate Pennsylvania residents and legislators about the importance of setting more protective setback distances from oil and gas drilling and infrastructure.

A setback is the minimum distance required between a proposed structure and an existing structure, boundary, or natural resource.

The Campaign is designed to urge local and state elected officials to increase minimum setbacks to prevent oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure from being built too close to where people live, work, learn, and heal, as well as important natural resources such as wetlands and creeks.

The website outlines the potential health risks that can occur when people are forced to live too close to oil and gas infrastructure, and offers suggestions for new statewide standards that are based on relevant and recent peer-reviewed studies.

The organizations who contributed to a special website have been working to establish protective buffers within municipalities impacted or threatened by oil and gas infrastructure and now want to see those protections put in place for communities throughout Pennsylvania.

“The research is clear,” said Beth Weinberger of the Environmental Health Project. “Current setback distances from shale gas operations are too close to protect the health and safety of residents living or working in proximity to them. This is especially true for vulnerable populations like children, senior citizens, and people who have pre-existing health conditions, but is also true for healthy adults."

Lois Bower-Bjornson is a Washington County resident, mother of four, and a Clean Air Council organizer. “Protecting my family and my community from oil and gas infrastructure is a must.  A better future for our children means cleaner air, and cleaner water. We urge our lawmakers to consider the facts that over a decade of shale gas development have revealed and make the necessary changes to better protect our health and our environment.”

“Protective setbacks must be implemented in order to better protect the health, safety and welfare of Pennsylvanians,” said Gillian Graber, executive director of Protect PT (Penn-Trafford). “There is a well pad planned for my community a half-mile from over 900 residents and some as close as 1,000 feet from the pad.”

This pad is one of four planned less than a mile from Level Green Elementary, an open air school with 238 students aged 5-11.

“Increased setback distances would decrease the risk of childrens’ exposure to harmful carcinogens at school and at home,” said Graber. “As a mother, keeping my kids safe is my number one priority and it should be our legislator’s priority as well.”

The buffer suggestions follow a 2020 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report on the oil and gas industry with setback distance recommendations, Senate Bill 650 (Santarsiero-D-Bucks) (related to setback distances) that was introduced on June 7, and as House members consider introducing similar legislation this fall. 

For more information, visit the Protective Buffers PA Coalition website.  Questions should be directed to Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council, lbb@cleanair.org, 412-979-5509 or Gillian Graber, Protect PT, gillian@protectpt.org, 412-376-3762. 

Event:

-- October 28--  Protect PT Webinar - How You Can Help Close The Loopholes In PA Dealing With Oil & Gas Drilling Liquid & Solid Waste.  6:00 p.m.

Related Articles:

-- 17 Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Operators Under Review By DEP To Determine If They Comply With Program Allowing Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater

-- 80 Organizations, 1,800+ Concerned Citizens To DEP: Ban Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater; Dept. Of Health Unaware Road Dumping Is Occurring

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Oct. 19 To Hear Report On Radiation Decontamination Of Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Reactors, Waste Sites

-- 65+ Groups Ask Biden Administration To Reclassify Oil & Gas Drilling Waste As 'Hazardous' To Prevent Road Dumping Of Wastewater And Other Practices

-- DEP: Potential For Environmental Impacts From Spills Or Leaks Of Radioactive Oil & Gas Waste Materials Is Real; Health Dept. Not Aware Of All Chemicals In Oil & Gas Wastewater Making Risk Assessment Difficult

-- Health Advocacy Groups Meet With State Dept. Of Health, DEP To Discuss Residents Impacted By Shale Gas Emissions

-- Dangers Posed By Oil & Gas Drilling Wastes, Abandoned Wells + Siri Lawson’s Story From Warren County

[Posted: October 12, 2021]

10/18/2021