california oil and gas

Californians living within miles of oil and gas wells have toxic air

"For many years, communities have been complaining about how oil drilling in their neighborhoods is harmful. Now we have numbers to back that up."

People living within 2.5 miles of oil and gas wells in California are exposed to levels of air pollutants linked to asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, preterm birth, and other long-term health defects, according to a new study published in September in the journal Science of The Total Environment.


Although it is well-established that oil and gas wells can contribute to air pollution and jeopardize the health of surrounding residents, this study is the first to pinpoint to what extent each common air pollutant can be attributed to fossil fuel production using large-scale state-wide data.

The study analyzed roughly one million daily entries from more than 300 air monitors across California from 2006 to 2019. After pairing air monitor data with upstream oil and gas production activities and leveraging wind direction to discern the pollution from the wells, the scientists observed higher concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone within two miles of the pre-production wells (wells that have not been completed for production). For active wells, the study found spiked PM2.5, nitrous oxide, and volatile organic compounds emissions within 0.6 miles of the production sites, and higher ozone concentrations between 0.6 and 1.2 miles from the wells.

The study adds to mounting evidence of oil and gas production's harm on California's underrepresented and poorly-resourced communities. At the southern end of the state's Central Valley, Kern County—which has roughly 78% of active wells in California and produces more than 70% of the oil and gas in the state—has heavily polluted air that "may put your health at risk," according to the American Lung Association. A 2015-17 community health report published by the county's health department revealed that lung cancer was the leading cause of death for the county's residents, more than half of whom are people of color. Meanwhile, the county—with 19% of people living below the poverty line (1.5 times the national rate)—also experienced higher infant mortality and heart disease death rates than the state average. Between 2015 to 2017, more Kern residents under age 5 and over age 65 went to the emergency room due to asthma than in the state as a whole.

"For many years, communities have been complaining about how oil drilling in their neighborhoods is harmful," David Gonzalez, an environmental scientist at University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the paper, told EHN. "Now we have numbers to back that up."

Air pollution and health 

There are approximately one million active oil and natural gas wells on U.S. soil, penetrating the Earth from mountains, deserts, and, in many cases, people's backyards. About 12.8 million barrels of oil are sucked out of the country's ground every day.

Across the country, more than 17 million people—including 2.1 million Californians—live within a mile of at least one active drilling well, which is linked to a plethora of deleterious health outcomes—cardiovascular diseases, depression symptoms and sleep disorders, and detrimental birth outcomes. PM2.5—a deadly pollutant particle 30 times smaller than human hair—invades deep inside our lungs and into our blood. Another pollutant studied in this paper, ozone, can stiffen up our airway muscles and, as a result, trap air at the end-branches of our lungs and increase asthma risk. The molecule poses the greatest threat to children, whose respiratory systems are still developing.

Fracking investigation 

One limit of the new study is that it only looked into how common air pollutants were attributed to oil and gas productions. "We're just scratching the surface here," said Gonzalez, adding that there could be plenty of other harmful chemicals and environmental impacts—such as noise and greenhouse gas emissions—not considered in this study.

In 2021, EHN's own 'Fractured' investigation—which examined urine, air, and water samples from households in southwestern Pennsylvania near fracking sites—found chemicals including benzene and butylcyclohexane in drinking water and air samples. The analysis also revealed that breakdown chemical molecules such as ethylbenzene, styrene, and toluene in children residing near fracking wells at levels up to 91 times as high as the average American.

The health effects of drilling wells go beyond adjacent communities. EHN's investigation discovered people who were exposed to harmful compounds five miles away from fracking wells.

Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiology professor at Columbia University who was not involved in the study, told EHN that this new paper "fills a big gap" in understanding how oil and gas developments can harm people's health.

As this study helps "illuminate the black box," Casey said, "the time has come for us to step back and reduce the use of fossil fuels."

Banner photo: Global Climate Action Summit in California in 2018. (Credit: Peg Hunter/flickr)

Can tires turn green?

Tire manufacturers are adopting greener production processes and more renewable materials, but they have yet to get a grip on tire particle pollution.

Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.

'I wanted to cry': Devastating risks of spray foam insulation hidden from Vermont homeowners

When asked how a homeowner could assess whether they’re hiring a high-quality insulation installer, Brent Ehrlich, a products and materials specialist at BuildingGreen, said, “I don't really have a good answer to that.”
climate change reshapes California coast
BigStock Photo ID: 430218898
Copyright: NFL1
Available for extended license use

California’s cliffs are crumbling as climate change reshapes the coast

Planners always knew choices would have to be made whether to keep building along the edge of the Pacific. They just didn't think it would happen so quickly.
Arctic warming biodiversity disruptions
Denali National Park and Preserve/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowedNPS Photo / Alex Vanderstuyfhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Just between us squirrels, there might be trouble in the Arctic dating scene

Climate change appears to be disrupting the hibernation of females in the Far North, scientists say, and that could affect mating season.
James Hansen climate warming warning
cereid2/Flickr/

James Hansen warns of a short-term climate shock bringing 2 degrees of warming by 2050

The famed researcher publicly released a preliminary version of a paper-in-progress with grim predictions of short- and long-term warming, but not all climate scientists agree with its conclusions.

climate impacts on Lake Erie
John Beagle/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Bracing for climate impacts on Lake Erie, the walleye capital of the world

Though fisheries are thriving now, “continuing warming on the trajectory we’re going is not going to be good for walleye and yellow perch.”

From our Newsroom
halliburton fracking

How the “Halliburton Loophole” lets fracking companies pollute water with no oversight

Fracking companies used 282 million pounds of hazardous chemicals that should have been regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act from 2014 to 2021.

President Joe Biden climate change

Op-ed: Biden’s Arctic drilling go-ahead illustrates the limits of democratic problem solving

President Biden continues to deploy conventional tactics against the highly unconventional threat of climate change.

oil and gas wells pollution

What happens if the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the US goes bankrupt?

Diversified Energy’s liabilities exceed its assets, according to a new report, sparking concerns about whether taxpayers will wind up paying to plug its 70,000 wells.

Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich: A journey through science and politics

In his new book, the famous scientist reflects on an unparalleled career on our fascinating, ever-changing planet.

oil and gas california environmental justice

Will California’s new oil and gas laws protect people from toxic pollution?

California will soon have the largest oil drilling setbacks in the U.S. Experts say other states can learn from this move.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.