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Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Bob Donnan - 15 Years Of Shale Gas Development Through Aerial Photos - Hiding In Plain Sight

On February 27, the Physicians for Social Responsibility PA, the League of Women Voters of PA, and the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering at Duquesne University hosted a Shale Gas and Public Health Conference in Pittsburgh and online.

The Conference brought together scientists, public health experts, industry leaders, and advocacy groups to explore the latest research and insights on unconventional oil and gas development, its environmental impact and associated health risks, and community wins and responses.

PA Environment Digest is highlighting the remarks of several speakers at the Conference on these important issues.

Bob Donnan

Bob Donnan, a resident of Peters Township, Washington County, has been active on shale gas drilling issues since 2009 when the industry was dumping fracking waste into the Monongahela River, his drinking water source.

In 2010, he bought a $1,500 long lens camera and began to record gas industry activities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

Aerial shale gas photography-- Marcellus Air-- began at the same time with volunteer pilot Steve White, resulting in 57 flights and thousands of photos.

Donnan is also the editor of The Energy Age Blog covering energy and climate issues starting in his own backyard.

His activities related to attending shale gas meetings and hearings on court cases in six counties, recording hundreds of videos and posting reports. He conducted many onsite DEP file reviews.

He has submitted written and verbal comments at Washington County commissioners’ meetings, the Peters Township council, school board meetings and most recently to the state of Maryland which is considering lifting its ban on fracking.

Actions initiated by family heirs resulted in leasing gas rights, without ever personally initiating any drilling activity.

Some proceeds were used for flights, travel, media expenses and to support environmental causes.

He is a Vietnam veteran and Founder of the 700-member 15th Artillery (reunion) Association.

He was awarded the ‘Honorable Order of Saint Barbara’ medal, and the ‘Beyond the Call of Duty’ award for humanitarian work gathering medical supplies for Vietnamese clinics.

He is co-founder of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Veterans for Peace. Chairman of VFW764 Wall of Valor Committee.

He is a Climate Reality Leader, graduate of Penn State’s Ornamental Nursery Industry horticulture program and is a retired landscape contractor.

At home he has rooftop solar, a back-up battery, and owns an electric vehicle.

Presentation

As part of the Conference, Bob Donnan presented 65 slides of photos he took both on the ground, but mostly aerial photos, that dramatically show the true extent of shale gas infrastructure development in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

His photos show well pads, wastewater “stink pits” impoundments, pipelines, pipeline compressor stations, natural gas processing plants and much more.

Click Here for a copy of the presentation slides.

Just paging through the slides gives a good perspective on how extensive gas infrastructure really is; something you can not appreciate from the ground.

The audio of his presentation is posted below here--

Click Here for an audio file of narration.

Until the online presentation is posted by the PA League of Women Voters, the audio and the slides can be used together.

Visit the PA League of Women Voters Shale Gas and Public Health in 2025 - New Directions webpage for videos of the Conference presentation [when posted].

2025 Shale Gas Health Conference Presentations:

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Dr. Pouné Saberi, MD Speaks On How Healthcare Providers Can Better Serve Individuals Exposed To Health Threats From Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Alison Steele, Environmental Health Project - The Science Is In, Shale Gas Development Harming Public Health - Arming People To Prevent, Reduce Harm [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Lois Bower-Bjornson - What Its Like Living In Frackland - Residents Talk About Dealing With The Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Bob Donnan - 15 Years Of Shale Gas Development Through Aerial Photos - Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Gillian Graber, Protect PT -- We Need To Work Together, Pool Our Knowledge To Push Back Against This Industry That's Harming Our Communities [PaEN]

Resource Links - Health:

-- Frackland Video Tour, with Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council

-- Part I - Environmental Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction [PaEN]

-- Part II - Health Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’ [PaEN]