Fracking Pennsylvania children health

Pennsylvania lawmakers urge Gov. Wolf to protect residents following EHN fracking investigation

The letter, signed by 35 state representatives and senators, points to Environmental Health News testing that found harmful chemical exposures in Pennsylvania families

On the heels of an Environmental Health News (EHN) study, 35 members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate have issued a public letter calling on state Governor Tom Wolf to take "immediate action in response to the ongoing harm" from fracking.


The letter, led by State Senator Katie Muth and State Representatives Sara Innamorato, points to a study recently published by EHN that found evidence of exposure to harmful chemicals in families living near fracking wells.

"Recent studies, such as the multifamily investigation published by the Environmental Health News, highlight the true risk so many Pennsylvania families face due to toxic and radioactive contamination caused by fracking," said Senator Muth in a statement.

The two-year investigation, which is documented in a four-part series, found alarming evidence of toxic industrial chemicals linked to fracking in the urine of families living nearby, in addition to finding harmful chemicals like benzene, toluene, and naphthalene in the families' air and drinking water. Several children in the study had biomarkers for exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in their bodies at levels that exceed those seen in the average adult cigarette smoker.

The study, led by EHN reporter Kristina Marusic, is the first time families in western Pennsylvania have been tested for exposure to chemicals emitted from fracking operations—and only the second study nationwide to examine such impacts from oil and gas drilling.

"The initial outcomes are alarming in terms of the effects on the long-term health and safety of these residents," the lawmakers wrote. "This study adds to an ever-growing mountain of evidence comprising more than ten years of epidemiological studies from across the United States that demonstrate a connection between a person's proximity to shale gas development and a host of negative human health conditions, significant ecological impacts, and dire economic projections for the affected individuals."

The letter urges Governor Wolf to use the same biomonitoring techniques employed in EHN's investigation to conduct similar testing on a wider scale, and points out that last month the commissioners of the Delaware River Basin Commission, including Gov. Wolf, banned fracking in the Delaware River Basin, which includes parts of eastern Pennsylvania.

"That decision begs the question: Does this administration believe it has adequately protected Pennsylvanians from the harms of fracking?" the signatories asked. "Does this administration honestly believe that fracking is safe for our families? The people of Pennsylvania deserve answers to these questions."

Read the full letter here.

See the entire Fractured series.

Have you been impacted by fracking? We want to hear from you. Fill out our fracking impact survey and we'll be in touch.

Banner photo: Two of the children that were part of EHN's "Fractured" investigation in southwestern Pennsylvania. (Credit: Connor Mulvaney for Environmental Health News)

A woman looks at a handmade journal that includes pressed flowers and leaves.

Independent bookshops are helping people fight climate despair with the right stories

In the UK, three indie bookstores are blending climate action and storytelling to help readers find hope, connection, and purpose in the face of planetary crisis.

Lottie Limb reports for Euronews.

Keep reading...Show less
Sunrise in the woods

Get our Good News newsletter

Get the best positive, solutions-oriented stories we've seen on the intersection of our health and environment, FREE every Tuesday in your inbox. Subscribe here today. Keep the change tomorrow.

A river runs between hills covered with trees displaying fall foliage colors.
Credit: Photo by Liz Guertin/Unsplash

Maryland’s conservation streak shows how far a small state can go

Maryland just became the first U.S. state to meet the “30 by 30” conservation goal — six years early — and it's already aiming for 40% by 2040.

Cara Buckley reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A woman stands in front of a garbage dump next to an abandoned building holding a poster that says "there is no planet b."

Environmental groups brace for a new era of fear and federal targeting

As the Trump administration sharpens its attacks on environmental nonprofits, Earthjustice president Abigail Dillen warns the movement is under threat like never before.

Sharon Lerner reports for ProPublica.

Keep reading...Show less
A copy of Pope Francis' Laudato Si encyclical propped against a wooden pew in a church with the pope's photo on the cover.
Credit: Johan Bergström-Allen / www.carmelite.org/FlickrCreative Commons Attribution 2.0 no restrictions

Pope Francis made climate change a moral crisis. Following his death, the world needs a new voice

Pope Francis turned the climate crisis into a global moral reckoning, but as the planet warms, his loss leaves a gaping hole in the fight for climate justice.

Chico Harlan reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
blue and white solar panels on green grass.

Clean energy tech is outpacing politics and reshaping the global power landscape

Even as the Trump administration moves to expand fossil fuels and slash climate regulations, clean energy industries are accelerating beyond the reach of political backlash.

The Vox climate team sets out to analyze the clean energy transition in a special, multi-story project.

Keep reading...Show less
Scientists in lab coats and protective goggles work in a lab, reviewing files.

Scientists scramble to save climate and health data as government deletions escalate

Amid a sweeping purge of U.S. government websites, scientists and activists are racing to archive vital health and climate data before it vanishes.

Chris Baraniuk reports for the BBC.

Keep reading...Show less
a person with a backpack walking on a trail toward red cliffs.

Trump administration slashes environmental reviews to speed fossil fuel permits

A new directive from the Interior Department will cut environmental reviews for drilling and mining projects on public lands from years to weeks, citing an emergency order from President Trump.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

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