catf_pub_healtheffectsbystate-e416079bafb9fd4d.pdf

The report details how the US oil and gas industry emits methane, toxic air pollutants (such as benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde), and ozone precursors that cause cancer and respiratory illnesses. It provides state-specific data for Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, highlighting that ozone pollution travels across state borders, affecting residents even in states with little to no local industry activity. The document emphasizes the vulnerability of children and low-income communities and argues for the necessity of strong federal standards from the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management to protect public health.

• Oil and gas industry emissions contribute to ozone smog that causes widespread childhood asthma attacks across multiple states, including over 145,000 per year in Texas, over 32,000 in Colorado, nearly 30,000 in Ohio, and over 30,000 in Pennsylvania.
• Toxic air pollutants from the oil and gas industry, including benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, increase cancer risks above the EPA's level of concern in numerous regions, including 82 counties in Texas, 28 counties in West Virginia, and 12 counties in North Dakota.
• Air pollution from the oil and gas industry travels across state borders, meaning residents in states with minimal local industry, such as Arizona and South Carolina, still suffer health impacts. In South Carolina, children suffer over 12,000 asthma attacks every summer due to this industry.
• Proximity to oil and gas operations creates acute health risks, with millions of people living within a half-mile of active sites, including 3.1 million in Ohio, 2.3 million in Texas, and 1.5 million in Pennsylvania.
• Socioeconomic factors exacerbate the health burden of air pollution; in Ohio, children living in poverty or without health insurance are more likely to require emergency room visits for asthma attacks.
• The report argues that state-level regulations are insufficient because they do not address pollution from neighboring states or tribal lands, necessitating strong federal standards from the US EPA and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

APA

Graham, J., McCabe, D., & Fleischman, L. (2017). catf_pub_healtheffectsbystate-e416079bafb9fd4d.pdf. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094502/CATF_Pub_HealthEffectsByState.pdf

Chicago

Graham, John, David McCabe, and Lesley Fleischman. catf_pub_healtheffectsbystate-e416079bafb9fd4d.pdf. Clean Air Task Force, 2017. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094502/CATF_Pub_HealthEffectsByState.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Graham |first1=John |last2=McCabe |first2=David |last3=Fleischman |first3=Lesley |title=catf_pub_healtheffectsbystate-e416079bafb9fd4d.pdf |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=February 2017 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094502/CATF_Pub_HealthEffectsByState.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{graham2017catfpubhealtheffectsbystatee416079bafb9fd4dpdf, author = {Graham, John and McCabe, David and Fleischman, Lesley}, title = {{catf\_pub\_healtheffectsbystate-e416079bafb9fd4d.pdf}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/21094502/CATF_Pub_HealthEffectsByState.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }