Health Risks in Pennsylvania from Oil and Gas Air Pollution

The document details the health impacts of oil and gas air pollution in Pennsylvania, highlighting that 1.5 million people and over 1,300 schools are located within a half-mile of active operations. It reports that residents in eight counties around Pittsburgh face cancer risks exceeding EPA levels of concern and that over 30,000 children in the state suffer annual asthma attacks due to industry-linked ozone.

• Pennsylvania hosts nearly 10% of the United States' oil and gas wells, compressors, and processing plants. In 2011, oil and gas companies in the state emitted more than 1,300 tons of hazardous toxic air pollutants, including acetaldehyde, benzene, and formaldehyde.
• Proximity to oil and gas operations poses significant health risks: 1.5 million Pennsylvania residents and more than 1,300 schools are situated within a half-mile of active sites. In eight counties surrounding Pittsburgh, the cancer risk from exposure to toxic gases exceeds the EPA's level of concern.
• Ozone smog from the oil and gas industry affects every county in Pennsylvania. This pollution causes over 30,000 childhood asthma attacks annually, with 25% occurring in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and just over 20% in the Philadelphia metro area. Additionally, the industry is linked to 67,000 person-days of restricted activity for adults.

APA

Graham, J., & McCabe, D. (2017). Health Risks in Pennsylvania from Oil and Gas Air Pollution. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094042/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_PA.pdf

Chicago

Graham, John, and David McCabe. Health Risks in Pennsylvania from Oil and Gas Air Pollution. Clean Air Task Force, 2017. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094042/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_PA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Graham |first1=John |last2=McCabe |first2=David |title=Health Risks in Pennsylvania from Oil and Gas Air Pollution |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=February 2017 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094042/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_PA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{graham2017health, author = {Graham, John and McCabe, David}, title = {{Health Risks in Pennsylvania from Oil and Gas Air Pollution}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094042/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_PA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }