Gasping for Breath

The report estimates that oil and gas emissions will cause over 750,000 summertime asthma attacks in children under 18 across the U.S. in 2025. It identifies volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as the primary precursors to this ozone smog, noting that pollution travels far downwind to affect all 48 contiguous states. The analysis highlights Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Pennsylvania as states with the highest number of asthma attacks. To mitigate these effects, the report recommends implementing leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, replacing high-emitting pneumatic equipment, and using vapor recovery units on storage tanks.

• In 2025, ozone smog resulting from oil and gas pollution is projected to cause more than 750,000 summertime asthma attacks in children under 18 across the United States.
• Beyond asthma attacks in children, the industry's contribution to ozone smog is projected to cause over 2,000 asthma-related emergency room visits and more than 600 respiratory-related hospital admissions nationally each summer.
• The health impacts of oil and gas emissions extend to lost productivity and education, with children projected to miss 500,000 school days and adults facing 1.5 million person-days of forced rest or reduced activity annually.
• While pollution sources are localized, the resulting ozone smog affects all 48 contiguous U.S. states because air pollution travels far downwind from production facilities.
• Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Pennsylvania are identified as the states with the largest number of asthma attacks attributable to oil and gas pollution.
• Storage tanks are a primary source of smog-forming pollutants, estimated to emit two-thirds of the VOCs from the oil and gas industry.
• The report identifies several technical interventions to reduce VOC emissions, including rigorous leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, the use of vapor recovery units for storage tanks, and replacing high-emitting pneumatic equipment.

APA

Fleischman, L., McCabe, D., & Graham, J. (2016). Gasping for Breath. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094452/CATF_Pub_GaspingForBreath.pdf

Chicago

Fleischman, Lesley, David McCabe, and John Graham. Gasping for Breath. Clean Air Task Force, 2016. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094452/CATF_Pub_GaspingForBreath.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fleischman |first1=Lesley |last2=McCabe |first2=David |last3=Graham |first3=John |title=Gasping for Breath |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=August 2016 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094452/CATF_Pub_GaspingForBreath.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fleischman2016gasping, author = {Fleischman, Lesley and McCabe, David and Graham, John}, title = {{Gasping for Breath}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094452/CATF_Pub_GaspingForBreath.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }