On July 28, the University of Pittsburgh announced School of Public Health scientists will present the results of studies exploring health impacts of human exposure to environmental risk factors, including unconventional natural gas development activities, in an eight-county region in Southwest Pennsylvania.

The meeting will be held on August 15 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. both in-person and livestreamed and include an opportunity for online participants to submit questions.

The in-person meeting will be held at the Performance Center on the second floor of the Natali Student Center on the PennWest California University campus, 250 University Ave, California, Washington County.

Click Here to join the meeting remotely. People attending online must submit questions in advance to paenv@pitt.edu.

Background

In 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Health contracted with Pitt Public Health to conduct three observational epidemiological studies focusing on asthma, birth outcomes and childhood cancers

These studies will focus on the potential health impacts of human exposure to environmental risk factors, such as unconventional natural gas development activities, among others.

The first study will focus on finding out if historical exposure to various environmental risk factors may be linked to childhood cancers in Southwestern Pennsylvania using existing data sources and parent interviews.

The second and third studies will use information already available to find out if exposure to environmental risk factors is related to more severe cases of asthma or to increased occurrence of adverse birth outcomes in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the PA Health and Environment Study webpage.

(Photos: Examples of unconventional shale gas and conventional oil and gas industrial facility impacts.)

Related Articles - Health Study:

-- Environmental Groups Launched Effort May 4 Asking For Update On Studies Of Health Impacts Of Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities, So Far No Response  [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]

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

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

Related Articles - Washington County:

-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water May Have Led To ‘Inadvertently’ Using Contaminated Water For Fracking Gas Wells In Washington County    [PaEN]

-- KDKA Investigation: Washington County Family Says Energy Transfer/MarkWest Natural Gas Processing Plants Turned A Peaceful Farm Into A Nightmare    [PaEN]

-- 3 Days That Shook Washington County: Natural Gas Plant Explosion; Pipeline Leak Of 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Gas; 10,000 Gallon Spill At Compressor Station  [PaEN]

-- DEP Ongoing Explosion/Fire Investigation: Energy Transfer Reported An Uncontrolled Release Of Ethane For 9.5 Hours From Its Revolution Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Rejects MarkWest Act 2 Cleanup Notification For 10,000 Gallon Natural Gas Condensate Spill At Compressor Station In Robinson Twp., Washington County, Notice Is Re-sent   [PaEN]

-- Robinson Twp., Washington County Seeks Answers To Cleanup Of MarkWest Liberty Midstream 10,000 Gallon Spill Of Natural Gas Condensates After Company Sends Notice To Wrong Municipality  [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]

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Counties, PEMA Need To Include A Complete Vulnerability Assessment Of All Natural Gas Facilities In State, County Hazard Mitigation Emergency Plans  [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]

-- DEP: Shell, Pipeline Contractor Assessed $670,000 Penalty For Falcon Ethane Pipeline Construction Violations In Allegheny, Beaver, Washington Counties  [PaEN]

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

-- AG Shapiro: Southeast Directional Drilling Pleads Guilty To Contaminating Water Supply In Washington County, To Pay $15,000 Fine  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 15 to 22;  8 More New Conventional Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 22 to 28  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - July 29  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 47 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 29 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

NewsClips This Week:

-- LancasterOnline: Study Finds Radioactive Materials In PA Waterways Near Treatment Plants Linked With Oil & Gas Industry Waste

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Environmental Quality Board Dismisses Petition To Raise Well Plugging Bond Amounts For Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Proposed Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well Riles Community In Fayette County

-- Warren Times: Proposed Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well In Fayette County Riles Community

-- TribLive: Olympus Energy Proposes Another Shale Gas Drilling Well Pad, Pipeline In West Deer Township, Allegheny County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Allegheny County Health Dept.  Begins Appeal Hearing On Invenergy Natural Gas Power Plant Proposed In Elizabeth Twp.

-- NRDC: PJM Electric Grid Operator Report Confirms Blackout Danger From Poor Maintenance At Natural Gas Power Plants

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak/Jonathan Salant: White House Pushing To Reduce Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Wells; Methane Accounts For 12% Of All Greenhouse Gas Emissions In PA

-- Beaver County Times Guest Essay: Here’s What’s Happening As A Result Of Shell Petrochemical Plant’s [$5 Million] Fine - By Daniel Rossi-Keen

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pittsburgh’s Problem With Shell Petrochemical Plant’s Plastic Nurdles - By Jack Doyle

Related Articles This Week:

-- Comments Submitted On Proposed Roulette Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Potter County By Save Our Streams PA Show Principals Have Been Involved In Abandoning 8 Previous Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Signs $660,000 Penalty Agreement With Sunoco To Resolve More Violations During The Construction Of Mariner East Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline In 9 Counties; Penalties Now Total Nearly $31 Million Just From DEP  [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Will Release Results Of Shale Gas Development Health Impact Study On Aug. 15 In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- DCED Gives UGI Utilities A $501,136 Grant For A New Natural Gas Pipeline To Serve Little Leaf Greenhouse In Carbon County  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 28, 2023]

7/31/2023