New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes; No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Oil & Gas Health Impacts Study
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On April 4, the Department of Health published the Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) that outlines goals, objectives, and strategies to improve the health of all Pennsylvanians over the next five years.

The Plan identified Environmental Health as one of eight health issues affecting Pennsylvania.  The other seven include access to care, mental health, substance use, chronic diseases, infectious diseases, maternal and infant Health, injury and violence.

The assessment further identified rising health issues related to natural resource extractions [defined by the Health Department as oil and gas development] and the health impacts resulting from climate change as two of the top five threats affecting health outcomes of Pennsylvanians.

The other threats include transportation issues leading to social health disparities, escalating costs of medicines necessary to treat chronic diseases. [page 13]

Under the overarching goal of improving the health status and life expectancy of Pennsylvanians, and eliminating health inequities, there are nine goals in the 2023-2028 SHIP--

-- Increase financial well-being, food security, and safe affordable housing;

-- Increase community safety by reducing the number of violent incidences that occur due to racism, discrimination, or domestic disputes;

-- Improve environmental health, focusing on environmental justice communities;

-- Increase the population at a healthy weight through increasing availability and accessibility of physical activity and affordable nutritious food;

-- Reduce the impact of tobacco and nicotine use;

-- Increase access to medical and oral health care;

-- Improve mental health and substance use outcomes through improved mental health services, trauma-informed trainings, and substance use interventions;

-- Improve health outcomes through improved chronic diseases management; and

-- Improve maternal and infant health outcomes by improving prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care.

“The Department’s vision is to create a ‘Healthy Pennsylvania for All,’” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Acting Secretary of Health. “Achieving that vision will take all of us working with people and organizations across the Commonwealth to increase opportunities for people to access quality health care, impactful programs, and needed resources.”

The 2023-2028 SHIP was developed in collaboration with the Healthy Pennsylvania Partnership (HPP), with support from Harrisburg University.

The HPP is made up of nearly 300 health care professionals, associations, health systems, health and human services organizations, community collaborations, local public health agencies, government agencies, and others focused on improving health outcomes across the Commonwealth.

The SHIP acts as a road map for the HPP and others to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities by working across the continuum from the social determinants of health, preventative interventions, and accessing quality and culturally humble care.

Click Here for a copy of the Plan.

More Background

Since March 2011, the state Department of Health has been attempting to document health complaints of residents initially in unconventional oil and gas drilling areas and maintains a Health Complaints Registry.

In 2018, “the name of the program was changed to Oil and Natural Gas Production to cover potential health impacts from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas production.”

The Health Complaints Registry now offers residents the opportunity to report health impacts from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas production.

The Department of Health says unconventional shale gas development “involves a complex network of industrial infrastructure, from the well pad and wells where oil and natural gas are extracted to the processing plants, compressor stations and pipelines that refine and transport oil and natural gas to consumers.

“Each of these pieces of infrastructure may present potential exposure hazards to residents living nearby as well as to oil and gas workers.”

“Several review articles identify the potential exposure pathways through which people's health may be impacted by ONGP/UONGD [conventional and unconventional oil and gas development]. 

“These include contamination of surface or groundwater, air pollution or soil degradation. Chemical additives in fracking fluid and the wastewater produced during fracking (flowback, produced water) consist of a broad range of potentially toxic solvents, heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons and naturally-occurring radioactive materials.

“These additives may contaminate nearby private water supplies and/or soil through various pathways (e.g., failing well casings, surface spills or leaks, etc.).

“Additionally, direct and fugitive air emissions from oil and gas well sites can worsen local air quality and have the potential to increase health risks among residents living nearby (i.e., within one-half mile).

“Air pollutants come from the natural gas resource itself as well as diesel engines, storage tanks containing the fluid that comes back up from the wells, and on site materials and equipment used during production.

“Researchers have also noted the potential health impacts related to excessive noise, light and chronic stress; vehicular injuries from increased truck traffic or other injuries or emergencies from explosions, leaks or floods; and the particular case of oil and gas workers, pregnant women, children and the elderly who may be at increased risk of health impacts from environmental exposures.”

The Department of Health said, “Overall, epidemiologic work has found some limited evidence of relationships between living near UONGD [unconventional gas drilling] and poor birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth; worsening respiratory symptoms; and some self-reported health outcomes.”

“Communities in Pennsylvania, especially in Southwest Pennsylvania with significant ONGP activities, have raised concerns about childhood cancers including the Ewing's family of tumors.”

“Overall, there were no conclusive findings indicating that the incidence rates of Ewing's family of tumors in Washington County and Canon-McMillan School District for female and male populations were consistently and statistically significantly higher than the rest of the state over the three time periods (1985-1994, 1995-2004 and 2005-2017) reviewed.

“In 2020, DOH examined cancer incidence data in a four-county area in Southwest Pennsylvania (Washington, Fayette, Greene and Westmoreland). Childhood cancer rates, as well as overall cancer rates, were mostly similar to or lower than the rest of state rates for all the three time periods examined.”

No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Studies

To further address community concerns, the Department of Health is funding the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to conduct two observational epidemiologic studies focusing on known or suspected health effects of UONGD.

One study will investigate the relationship between UONGD and the development of childhood cancers in southwestern Pennsylvania, the most heavily drilled area of the state.

The other study will aim to replicate earlier studies centered on northcentral/northeastern Pennsylvania evaluating the acute conditions of asthma and birth outcomes.

The new studies will use data from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Visit the University of Pittsburgh’s PA Health And Environment Study webpage for more information about these studies.

No written update on these studies has been posted on the webpage since July 1, 2022.

However, both the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Department of Health pulled out of an October 2022 public meeting intended to provide an update on the studies.  Read more here.

Related Articles - University Of Pittsburgh Study:

-- Pitt School Of Public Health, PA Dept Of Health Abruptly Pull Out Of Oct. 5 Public Meeting They Helped Convene On Studies Looking At Links Between Natural Gas Development And Childhood Cancer Rates

-- Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Recruiting Families In Southwest PA For Study Of Childhood Cancer, One Of 3 Studies Of Potential Health Impacts Linked To Shale Natural Gas Development

-- Dept. Of Health Awards $2.5 Million Contract To University of Pittsburgh To Research Health Effects Of Hydraulic Fracturing In PA

Related Articles - Latest Health Impacts:

-- House Bill Would Expand Safety Zones Around Oil/Gas Wells, Infrastructure To Reduce Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts As Recommended By AG Shapiro’s Grand Jury Report  [PaEN]

-- New University Of Chicago Medical Study Connects Natural Gas Development In PA To Real, Serious Human Health Outcomes And Should Be A Call To Action For Policy Makers - By Alison Caldwell, PhD,  University of Chicago News  [PaEN]

-- Ohio Research Confirms Health, Environmental Hazards In Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Dumped On Roads, Just Like In PA  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Provides Fresh Support To Key Changes Recommended In 2020 Grand Jury Report To Tighten Regulation Of The Natural Gas Drilling Industry To Better Protect Public Health, Environment  [PaEN]

-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX  [PaEN]

-- DEP/Equitrans Settlement: DEP, Preempted By Federal Law, Withdraws Order, Closes NOVs Against Equitrans For Cambria County Natural Gas Storage Leak Releasing 1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas  [PaEN]

-- How Chesapeake Appalachia Created Another New Shale Gas Brownfield In Bradford County; Timberline Energy Plugs Its Abandoned Conventional Gas Wells In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- Independent Regulatory Review Commission Meets April 20 On Final Emergency Regs Setting VOC/Methane Emission Limits On Conventional Oil/Gas Operations  [PaEN]

Impacts On Families - Oil & Gas Facilities

-- Observer-Reporter: Ongoing Water Donation Drive Helping Dozens Of Greene County Families Who Haven’t Had Clean Drinking Water Since June Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site  [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Industry Impacts: Navy Veterans Patrick & Helen Robinson Relate Their 7-Year Struggle Dealing With Impacts Of Mariner East Pipeline Construction In Indiana County, And They Continue   [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Industry Impacts: Cambria County Family Sues Sunoco After 3 Years Of Dealing With Damage To Home, Well, Septic System, Property From Mariner East Pipeline Construction    [PaEN]

-- Washington County Family Lawsuit Alleges Shale Gas Company Violated The Terms Of Their Lease By Endangering Their Health, Contaminating Their Water Supply And Not Protecting Their Land    [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Announces 7 Winners Of 2022 Community Sentinel Award For Environmental Stewardship; Including PA’s Laurie Barr  [PaEN]

Health Issues - Oil & Gas Facilities

-- Environmental Health Project: PA’s Natural Gas Boom - What Went Wrong? Why Does It Matter? What Can We Do Better To Protect Public Health?  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Setback Distances And The Regulations We Need To Protect Public Health From Oil & Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act  [PaEN]

-- Presentations Now Available From Shale Gas & Public Health Conference In Nov. Hosted By PA League Of Women Voters & University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health   [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Living Near Oil & Gas Facilities Means Higher Health Risks, The Closer You Live, The Higher The Risk - By Nicole Deziel PhD MHS, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health   [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Economically, Socially Deprived Areas In PA Have A Much Greater Chance Of Having Oil & Gas Waste Disposed In Their Communities - By Joan Casey, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health  [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: We've Got Enough Compelling Evidence To Enact Health Protective Policies For Families Now - By Edward C. Ketyer, M.D., President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania   [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: When It Started, It Was Kind Of Nice, But What Happened Afterwards Really Kind Of Devastated Our Community - By Rev. Wesley Silva, former Council President Marianna Borough, Washington County   [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility Release 8th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, Media Findings On Risks, Harms Of Fracking And Oil & Gas Infrastructure   [PaEN]

-- Yale School Of Public Health Study Found PA Children 2 To 3 Times More Likely To Be Diagnosed With Leukemia If They Live Near Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

-- Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- Pitt School Of Public Health, PA Dept Of Health Abruptly Pull Out Of Oct. 5 Public Meeting They Helped Convene On Studies Looking At Links Between Natural Gas Development And Childhood Cancer Rates  [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Recruiting Families In Southwest PA For Study Of Childhood Cancer, One Of 3 Studies Of Potential Health Impacts Linked To Shale Natural Gas Development   [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: PA's Low-Producing Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Are Leaking Too Much Methane, The Industry Needs To Take Care Of Its Own Trash   [PaEN]

--  Concerned Health Professionals Of PA Ask Health Professionals To Sign Letter Urging Gov.-Elect Shapiro To Protect Public Health, Environment From Impacts Of Oil & Gas Industry  [PaEN]

-- Study: Industry Data Shows Hazardous Air Pollutants Are ‘Ubiquitous’ In The Natural Gas Transmission System; More Justification For Robust Leak Prevention Programs   [PaEN]

-- Earthworks, FracTracker Alliance Release New Online Oil & Gas Threat Map; Find Natural Gas Facilities, Wells Near You [PaEN]

-- American Lung Association Report Details Health And Environmental Impacts Of Fuel-Burning Appliances At Home  [PaEN]

Impacts On Communities - Oil & Gas Facilities

-- Inside Climate News: Q/A With Eliza Griswold Pulitzer Winning Author Of Deep Dive Into Fracking In PA, How Extractive Industries ‘Gut’ Communities  [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Natural Gas Drilling: An Industrial Machine Moving Across The PA Countryside Leaving Behind Big Liabilities & Spreading Pollution Everywhere It Goes [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Releases 4th Watershed Oil & Gas Drilling Impact Analysis In Susquehanna River Basin - Towanda & Schrader Creek Watersheds    [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance: Lycoming Creek Watershed Oil & Gas Drilling Impact Analysis In Lycoming County    [PaEN]

-- PJM’s Preliminary Review Of Christmas Storm Electric Generation Failures Shows Natural Gas Units Failed To Provide Power At Over Triple The Rate Of Other Generation  [PaEN]

-- PUC Alerts Consumers Utility Natural Gas Costs Will Be Going Up By As Much As 128%, Electric Costs Will Be Going Up By As Much As 34%; Both Driven By Cost Of Natural Gas On World Markets  [PaEN]

-- PA PUC: Cost Of Natural Gas Provided By Major Utilities In PA Increased As Much As 154% Over Last Year  [PaEN]

-- Ohio River Valley Institute: 6% Population Loss, 3.3% Job Loss In PA's 'Natural Gas' Counties Show Misplaced Faith In Economic Benefits Of Oil & Gas [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 15 to 21; 10 Abandoned Well NOVs; New Crude Oil Leak; Defective Casing/Cementing  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 22  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 75 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 22 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

PA Oil & Gas Compliance Reports

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Failed To File Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued 754 Notices Of Violation For Defective Oil & Gas Well Casing, Cementing, The Fundamental Protection Needed To Prevent Gas Migration, Groundwater & Air Contamination, Explosions  [PaEN]

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’  [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts  [PaEN]

Related Articles Last 2 Weeks:

-- House Environmental Committee Sets April 24 Hearing On Plugging Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells; New Bill Restores Authority To Increase Conventional Well Bonding  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Provides Fresh Support To Key Changes Recommended In 2020 Grand Jury Report To Tighten Regulation Of The Natural Gas Drilling Industry To Better Protect Public Health, Environment   [PaEN]

-- New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes; No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Oil & Gas Health Impacts Study  [PaEN]

-- Independent Regulatory Review Commission Approves Final Emergency Regs Setting VOC/Methane Emission Limits On Conventional Oil/Gas Operations  [PaEN]

-- Concerned Residents, Advocates Call On DEP For The Opportunity To Comment On Proposed Roulette Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well In Potter County  [PaEN]

-- DEP/Equitrans Settlement: DEP, Preempted By Federal Law, Withdraws Order, Closes NOVs Against Equitrans For Cambria County Natural Gas Storage Leak Releasing 1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas  [PaEN]

-- PA Supreme Court Upholds DEP’s Authority To Protect Public Resources, Playgrounds From Adverse Impacts Of Shale Gas Well Operations; Do Not Mistake This Win For Adequate Protection  [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint Results In Discovery Of An Unreported Crude Oil Spill Affecting Over 2,400 Feet Of Stream At A Cameron Energy Conventional Well Site In Forest County  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Shale Gas Drilling, Development Yields Both Fears, Funding For Pennsylvania Public Lands - By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal  [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Local Leaders, DOT Must Stop Plant In Wyalusing, Bradford County From Shipping LNG Natural Gas By Rail Or Truck Or Both To Philadelphia [PaEN]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Environmentalists Being Kept Out Of Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Task Force Meeting

-- American Journal Of Transportation: PA LNG Task Force Takes Testimony On Expanding Natural Gas To PA Ports

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission May 4 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Projects, Including 12 Related To Shale Natural Gas Drilling  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 39 Water Use Permits For Shale Gas Well Drilling Pads In Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

-- Intense, Bright White Light From The Shell Plastics Plant Turns Night Into Day For Many Neighbors Of The Beaver County Plant  [PaEN]

-- The Express: Bechtel Corp Announced It Will Discontinue Development Of The 1,000 MW Natural Gas-Fired Renovo Energy Center In Clinton County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issues Three More Air Quality Violations To Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Related To Emergency Flaring, Exceeding 12-Month Air Pollution Limits  [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Times: Strong Hydrocarbon Odors, Pollution Leave Residents Uneasy After Releases At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County 

-- KDKA: Shell Says It’s Working To Eliminate What’s Causing A Putrid Smell From Beaver County Petrochemical Plant 

-- WTAE: Residents Voice Concerns About Strong Odor Near Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County

-- Post-Gazette: DEP Investigating Stink At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: DEP Investigating Odor Event From Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County

[Posted: April 16, 2023]


4/24/2023

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