US Environmental Protection Agency, February 11 , 2015
An emissions inventory that identifies and quantifies a country’s primary anthropogenicsources and sinks of greenhouse gases is essential for addressing climate change. This inventory adheres to both a comprehensive and detailed set of methodologies for estimating sources and sinks of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, and a
common and consistent mechanism that enables Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to compare the relative contribution of different emission sources and greenhouse gases to climate change.
Study Abstract. Study by Garth T. Llewellyn, Frank Dorman. L. Westland. Yoxtheimer, Paul Grieve, Todd Sowers, E. Humston-Fulmer, and Susan L. Brantley. Published by National Academy of Sciences, April 2, 2015.
Written by David R. Brown, Celia Lewis & Beth I. Weinberger. Southwest Pennsylvania Environmenta Healt Project, McMurray, Pennsulvania, USA. Publishied online 03 Mar 2015
EPA-600-R-16-236Fa, December 2016, www.epa.gov/hfstudy. Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20460,
The following combinations of activities and factors are more likely than others to result in more frequent or more severe impacts:
• Water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, particularly in areas with limited or declining groundwater resources;
• Spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals or produced water that result in large volumes or high concentrations of chemicals reaching groundwater resources;
• Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, allowing gases or liquids to move to groundwater resources;
• Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources;
• Discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water
resources; and
• Disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unl
Despite Ban, New York Permits Pennsylvania to Dump
Radioative Fracking Waste Inside Our Borders
Elizabeth Moran for Environmental Advocates of NY, February 2015
Earthworks, April, 2015 AUTHORS:
Nadia Steinzor and Bruce Baizel, Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project.
Report available at: http://wastingaway.earthworksaction.org
Written by syama K. Alawattaegama, Tetiana Kondratyuk, Renee Krynock, Matthew Bricker, Jennifer K. Rutter, Daniel J. Bainc & John F. Stolzab
Center for Environmental Research and Education, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, USA
Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Department of Geology and Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA
Published online: 03 Mar 2015.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
Public Meeting of January 27, 2015
This is a synopsis from the NTSB’s Safety Study and does not include the Board’s rationale for the conclusions and safety recommendations. NTSB staff is currently making final revisions to the report from which the attached conclusions and safety recommendations have been extracted.
Joan A. Casey, Elizabeth L. Ogburn, Sara G. Rasmussen,
Jennifer K. Irving, Jonathan Pollak, Paul A. Locke,
and Brian S. Schwartz
For Environmental Health Perspectives
Advance Publication April 9 2015
Abstract
Cover of the external review draft of the hydraulic fracturing drinking water research report This assessment provides a review and synthesis of available scientific literature and data to assess the potential for hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas to impact the quality or quantity of drinking water resources, and identifies factors affecting the frequency or severity of any potential impacts.
Annual Report of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser 2014. The report project team was David Bennett, Graeme Collinson, Mike Edbury, Elizabeth Surkovic and Jack Wardle. Published November, 2014.
May 21, 2015 decision…”we conclude that their Lake Huntington
residences are, in fact, legitimate ones for voting purposes.
Accordingly, Supreme Court erred in declaring the Lake Huntington
voters’ absentee ballots invalid and directing that their names
be stricken from the registry of voters.” Allowing 2nd Home Owners to vote at their 2nd home.
Authors: Timothy Vinciguerra, Simon Yao, Joseph Dadzie, Alexa Chittams, Thomas Deskins, Sheryl Ehrman, Russell R. Dickerson. Atmospheric Environment, March, 26, 2015.
By Brady W. Allred, W. Kolby Smith, Dirac Twidwell, Julia H. Haggerty, Steven W. Running, David E. Naugle, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf. Science Magazine, April 24, 2015, VOL 348 ISSUE 6233
Authors: Jennifer S. Harkness, Gary S. Dwyer, Nathaniel R. Warner, Kimberly M. Parker §, William A. Mitch, and Avner Vengosh, american Chemical Society, Jan 14, 2015.
Methane leaks and explodes, Canadian tar sands crude sinks, and computerized control systems are being hacked. Is publicly-acceptable safety and security a realistic prospect?Author: Trudy E. Bell in The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, Winter 2015.
Study Authors: Mary Kanga, Cynthia M. Kannoa, Matthew C. Reida, Xin Zhangb, Denise L. Mauzeralla, Michael A. Celiaa, Yuheng Chenc, and Tullis C. Onstottc. National Academy of the Sciences, USA, Cross Mark, Nov., 2014.
Study Authors: David T. Allen, David W. Sullivan, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Adam P. Pacsi, Matthew Harrison, Kindal Keen, Matthew P. Fraser, A. Daniel Hill, Brian K. Lamb, Robert F. Sawyer, and John H. Seinfeld. Environmental Science & Technology, Author Choice.
Study Authors: David T. Allen, Adam P. Pacsi, David W. Sullivan, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Matthew Harrison, Kindal Keen, Matthew P. Fraser, A. Daniel Hill, Robert F. Sawyer, and John H. Seinfeld. Environmental Science & Technology, Author Choice.
The Marcellus Money project has been tracking the natural gas (or “fracking”) industry’s campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures in Pennsylvania since 2009, when the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom was moving into high gear. This 2014 update to the project re-focuses the period of analysis to 2007 Cycle 1 – 2014 Cycle 5 (previous releases included data from 2001 forward). The data and more information can be viewed online at www.marcellusmoney.org
Written by Elizabeth Bast, Shakuntala Makhijani, Sam Pickard and Shelagh Whitley, Oil Change International and Overseas Development Institute
November, 2014
Environmental, Human Health and Climate Impacts Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing Operations. Commissioned by The Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation. Written by Anna Grear, Evadne Grant, Dr. Tom Kerns, Professor Karen Morrow, Dr. Damien Short. Published October 30, 2014
Authors: Gregg P Macey, Ruth Breech, Mark Chernaik, Caroline Cox, Denny Larson, Deb Thomas and David O Carpenter for Environmental Health. Published October 30, 2014
Environmental Integrity Project, October 22, 2014. This report was researched and written by Eric Schaeffer and Courtney Bernhardt. The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March of 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for effective enforcement of environmental laws.
This paper was conceived, written and researched collectively by Tom Sanzillo, Lorne Stockman, Deborah Rogers, Hannah McKinnon, Elizabeth Bast, and Steve Kretzmann with assistance and/or additional contributions from Adam Wolfensohn, and Amin Asadollahi for the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis, October, 2014.
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today: As the infrastructure build-out reaches more places, communities are standing up and taking action to protect their air, water, land, and quality of life. Even though each project has specific geographic, environmental, economic, and social aspects, there are also many common issues and concerns.
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today:When first extracted, natural gas is a blend of methane; water; natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, butane, and propane; and condensate, a light hydrocarbon. Gas processing is the bridge between the extraction of gas and its delivery as a finished product—typically composed mostly of methane—for use in homes, businesses, and utilities.
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today:
Natural gas consumption changes based upon economic conditions, weather, and price. To ensure adequate supply, utilities keep reserves in Underground Natural Gas Storage (UNGS) facilities.
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today:Changes in pressure and elevation can slow the speed at which oil and gas move through pipelines. Pipeline stations are designed to keep oil or gas moving, and to track how quickly it moves.
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today:
Pipelines carry oil, gas, wastes and related products to and from drilling, processing, and distribution areas under high pressure. – See more at:
This information hub describes key types of oil and gas infrastructure being developed today:When wells are drilled and fracked, it’s not only oil and gas that are brought to the surface from deep underground—but also large volumes of waste. Estimates show that up to 1,200 gallons of wastewater can be created per day of production at shale gas wells, as well as at least 600 tons of solid waste per hole drilled.
Authors:Lauren A. Patterso , Katherine E. Konschnik, Hannah Wiseman, Joseph Fargione, Kelly O. Maloney, Joseph Kiesecker, Jean-Philippe Nicot, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Sally Entrekin, Anne Trainor, and James E. Saiers.
Rapid growth in unconventional oil and gas (UOG) has produced jobs, revenue, and energy, but also concerns over spills and environmental risks. We assessed spill data from 2005 to 2014 at 31?481 UOG wells in Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. We found 2–16% of wells reported a spill each year. Median spill volumes ranged from 0.5 m3 in Pennsylvania to 4.9 m3 in New Mexico; the largest spills exceeded 100 m3. Seventy-five to 94% of spills occurred within the first three years of well life when wells were drilled, completed, and had their largest production volumes. Across all four states, 50% of spills were related to storage and moving fluids via flowlines. Reporting rates varied by state, affecting spill rates and requiring extensive time and effort getting data into a usable format. Enhanced and standardized regulatory requirements for reporting spills could improve the accuracy and speed of analyses to identify and prevent spill risks and mitigate potential environmental damage. Transparency for data sharing and analysis will be increasingly important as UOG development expands. We designed an interactive spills data visualization tool (http://snappartnership.net/groups/hydraulic-fracturing/webapp/spills.html) to illustrate the value of having standardized, public data.
Elementa, Science of the Anthropocene. Study authors:J . Douglas Goetz, Anita Avery, Ben Werden, Cody Floerchinger, Edward C. Fortner, Joda Wormhoudt, Paola Massoli, Scott C. Herndon, Charles E. Kolb, W. Berk Knighton, Jeff Peischl, Carsten Warneke, Joost A. de Gouw, Stephanie L. Shaw, Peter F. DeCarlo.
Abstract:Local background CH4 mole fractions were 140 ppbv greater in Southwestern PA compared to Northeastern PA in 2012 and background CH4 increased 100 ppbv from 2012 to 2015. CH4 local background mole fractions were not found to have a detectable relationship between well density or production rates in either region. In Northeastern PA, CO was observed to decrease 75 ppbv over the three year period.
Elementa Study Authors:J. Douglas Goetz, Anita Avery, Ben Werden, Cody Floerchinger, Edward C. Fortner, Joda Wormhoudt, Paola Massoli, Scott C. Herndon, Charles E. Kolb,
W. Berk Knighton, Je Peischl,?, Carsten Warneke,?, Joost A. de Gouw§,?,
Stephanie L. Shaw and Peter F. DeCarlo.
Methane was observed to be at higher concentra- tions in SW PA than NE PA in 2012, demonstrating that there is spatial variability in methane concentra- tions across the region.
Concerned Health Professionals of NY, 4th Edition, Nov 17, 2016The Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking (the Compendium) is a fully referenced compilation of the evidence outlining the risks and harms of fracking. Bringing together findings from the scientific and medical literature, government and industry reports, and journalistic investigation, it is a public, open-access document that is housed on the websites of Concerned Health Professionals of New York (www.concernedhealthny.org) and Physicians for Social Responsibility (www.psr.org).
Science Magazine. Authors: X. Bao, D.W. Eaton. 10.1126/science.aag2583 (2016)
Hydraulic fracturing has been inferred to trigger the majority of injection-induced earthquakes in western Canada, in contrast to the midwestern United States where massive saltwater disposal is the dominant triggering mechanism. A template-based earthquake catalog from a seismically active Canadian shale play, combined with comprehensive injection data during a 4-month interval, shows that earthquakes are tightly clustered in space and time near hydraulic fracturing sites. The largest event [moment magnitude (MW) 3.9] occurred several weeks after injection along a fault that appears to extend from the injection zone into crystalline basement. Patterns of seismicity indicate that stress changes during operations can activate fault slip to an offset distance of >1 km, whereas pressurization by hydraulic fracturing into a fault yields episodic seismicity that can persist for months.
Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Authors: Michael Ash & James K. Boyce. March, 2016.
Abstract
Using matched facility-level data from the US EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEO-1 database, we assess (1) the trade-off between jobs and environmental quality and (2) the extent to which the distribution of the benefits of employment in industrial production mirrors the distribution of the costs of exposure to hazardous byproducts of industrial activity in the dimension of race and ethnicity. We find no evidence that facilities that create higher pollution risk for surrounding communities provide more jobs in aggregate. The share of pollution risk accruing to ethnic or racial minority groups typically exceeds the share of employment and substantially exceeds the share of good jobs held by members
of those groups.
Abstract. Authors:Christopher D. Kassotis, John J. Bromfield, Kara C. Klemp, Chun-Xia Meng, Andrew Wolfe, R. Thomas Zoeller, Victoria D. Balise, Chiamaka J. Isiguzo, Donald E. Tillitt, and Susan C. Nagel. Published: Aug 25, 2016.
This work suggests potential adverse developmental and reproductive health outcomes in humans and animals exposed to these oil and gas operation chemicals, with adverse outcomes observed even in the lowest dose group tested, equivalent to concentrations reported in drinking water sources. These endpoints suggest potential impacts on fertility, as previously observed in the male siblings, which require careful assessment in future studies. –
Authors:Christopher D. Kassotis, John J. Bromfield, Kara C. Klemp, Chun-Xia Meng, Andrew Wolfe, R. Thomas Zoeller, Victoria D. Balise, Chiamaka J. Isiguzo, Donald E. Tillitt, and Susan C. Nagel. Published by Endocrine Society, first published July 5, 2016.
Environmental Health Perspectives. Authors:Aaron W. Tustin, Annemarie G. Hirsch, Sara G. Rasmussen, Joan A. Casey, Karen Bandeen-Roche, and Brian S. Schwartz. Published August 25, 2016. This is an advanced copy of the study that hasn’t be copyedited.
Conclusions: This study provides evidence that UNGD is associated with nasal and sinus, migraine headache, and fatigue symptoms in a general population representative sample.
This report details the increasing threat to the climate from American natural gas production. We document the emergence of the Appalachian Basin as the key source of projected natural gas production growth in the coming decades. We also identify the proposed pipelines that would enable that growth, and how this gas production would undermine national and global climate goals.
April 22, 2016 Report,U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Exposure to maximum levels of PM2.5 may be harmful to unusually sensitive populations, such as those with respiratory or heart disease, but are not at levels that are a concern to the general population.
BRIGICH COMPRESSOR STATION
CHARTIERS TOWNSHIP, WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
January 29, 2016, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Response to Governmental Action and Publication, April 3, 2016. ATSDR Releases Investigation of Pennsylvania Compressor Station
In conducting an investigation of the Brigich compressor station in Chartiers Township, PA, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) advanced the understanding of the community exposures and potential risks introduced by unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) infrastructure to those living, working, or going to school nearby.
April 3, 2016
ATSDR Releases Investigation of Pennsylvania Compressor Station
In conducting an investigation of the Brigich compressor station in Chartiers Township, PA, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) advanced the understanding of the community exposures and potential risks introduced by unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) infrastructure to those living, working, or going to school nearby.
Authors: Ellen Webb, Jake Hays, Larysa Dyrszka, Brian Rodriguez, Caroline Cox, Katie Huffling and Sheila Bushkin-Bedient, Rev Environ Health, 2016, accepted February 8, 2016. Abstract: Research on air pollutant emissions associated with unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development has grown significantly in recent years…Many data gaps remain, but existing data support precautionary measures to protect the health of infants and children.
Authors: Nancy E. Lauer, Jennifer S. Harkness, and Avner Vengosh. Duke University
ABSTRACT: The rapid rise of unconventional oil production during the
past decade in the Bakken region of North Dakota raises concerns related to
water contamination associated with the accidental release of oil and gas
wastewater to the environment. . We observed thatinorganic contamination associated with brine spills in North Dakota is remarkably persistent, with elevated levels of contaminants observed in spills sites up to 4 years following the spill events.
Authors: E. A. Kort, M. L. Smith, L. T. Murray, A. Gvakharia, A. R. Brandt, J. Peischl, T. B. Ryerson, C. Sweeney, K. Travis. Article accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1002/2016GL068703. American Geophysical Union, 2016.Key Points:
? The Bakken shale in North Dakota accounted for 1-3% total global ethane emissions in 2014
? These findings highlight the importance of shale production in global atmospheric ethane shift
? These emissions impact air quality and influence interpretations of recent global methane changes
PSE Healthy Energy paper published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE analyzes the body of scientific literature published from 2009-2015. It reports that the weight of the evidence indicates that hazards and elevated risks to human health, as well as possible adverse health outcomes are asssociated with unconventional natural gas development…
Authors: Jake Hays and Seth B.C. Shonkoff. Journal: PLOS/one.
Abstract:The body of science evaluating the potential impacts of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) has grown significantly in recent years, although many data gaps remain. Still, a broad empirical understanding of the impacts is beginning to emerge amidst a swell of research. The present categorical assessment provides an overview of the peer-reviewed scientific literature from 2009–2015 as it relates to the potential impacts of UNGD on public health, water quality, and air quality. We have categorized all available original research during this time period in an attempt to understand the weight and direction of the scientific literature.
Dusty Horwitt, Partnership for Policy Integrity, April 7, 2016.
Toxic Secrets is based on a first-ever review of EPA’s health assessments and regulatory determinations for 105 fracking and drilling chemicals reviewed under TSCA’s New Chemicals program between 2009 and 2014.
Abstract. Authors: David R. Lyon, Ramon A. Alvarez, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Adam R. Brandt, Robert B. Jackson, and Steven P. Hamburg. Envioronmental Science & Technology, april 5, 2016.
USGS study byBy Mark D. Petersen, Charles S. Mueller, Morgan P. Moschetti, Susan M. Hoover, Andrea L. Llenos, William L. Ellsworth, Andrew J. Michael, Justin L. Rubinstein, Arthur F. McGarr, and Kenneth S. Rukstales. Open File report 2016-1035.
Authors: Paul S. Goodman, Fabio Galatioto, Neil Thorpe, Anil K. Namdeo, Richard J. Davies, and Roger N. Bird in ScienceDirect, Enviironment International, Feb. 24, 2016.
Highlights
•
Traffic-related environmental impacts of fracking studied using a novel Traffic Impact Model.
•
Model estimates greenhouse gas, local air quality, noise and axle loading impacts on roads.
•
Single well pad creates substantial increases in local air quality pollutants during peak activity.
•
Short-duration/large-magnitude events may adversely affect local ambient air quality and noise.
•
Daily NOx emissions may increase by over 30% and hourly noise levels can double (+ 3.4 dBA)
Authors:Paul S. Goodman, Fabio Galatioto, Neil Thorpe ?, Anil K. Namdeo, Richard J. Davies, Roger N. Bird from School of Civil Engineering and Geoscience, Newcastle University. February, 2016.
Authors: Gin Armstrong, Aaron Cantu, Kevin Connor, & robert Galbraith. Public Accountability Initiative, March, 2016
Key findings
The companies behind major natural gas infrastructure projects spent $1.3 million on lobbying in New York State government in 2015, a nearly 119% increase from the $578,454 spent in 2011.
Lobbying expenditures have increased nearly 18% from 2014 to 2015.
Natural gas lobbying firms and their leadership have contributed at least $513,869 to Cuomo since 2006.
Three top lobbyists at the firms hired by the natural gas industry have ties to Andrew Cuomo through his late father, Mario Cuomo. Another served as the Executive Director of Republicans for Cuomo, and two partners from the same lobbying firm previously served as assistant counsel to Cuomo.
Audit by Thomas P. DiNapoli, NYS Office of the State Comptroller, Division of State Government Accountability. Report 2015-S-31, March, 2016.
Key Findings
• DPS staff do not verify the accuracy of the information on employee/contractor qualifications maintained by individual Operators which DPS staff rely on during field audits.
• DPS has not set up a process to identify instances where Operators failed to notify them as required. We determined that Operators did not notify DPS of six gas-related incidents in 2015 that should otherwise have been reported. These incidents involved evacuations, road closures, a business closure, and other situations that left businesses and residents without gas.
• DPS does not perform analyses of all available data to better identify potential high-risk areas.
March, 2016 from Earthworks Oil & Gas Accountability Project.This survey paper discusses many of the different air monitoring methods currently being used in community-based projects that are designed to increase understanding of oil and gas pollution.
Affidavit for J. David Hughes, scientist for the Geological Survey of Canada, as a witness for interveners NC WARN and The Climate Times in a docket at the North Carolina Utilities Commission (E-2 Sub 1089) re: new natural gas plants in Asheville NC. His assertion that US shale gas will peak in 2016-2017 time frame is shocking
Prepared by: Spencer Phillips, PhD Cara Bottorff Sonia Wang for Key-Log Economics, LLC. for: Highlanders for Responsible Development, Augusta County Alliance, Friends of Nelson County, Friends of Buckingham, and Virginia Yogaville Environmental Solutions; Feb., 2016
Study authors: T. H. W. Goebel, S. M. Hosseini, F. Cappa, E. Hauksson, J. P. Ampuero, F. Aminzadeh, J. B. Saleeby. Geophysical Research Letters, An AGU Journal. Feb 4, 2016.Our results suggest that induced seismicity may remain undetected in California without detailed analysis of local geologic setting, seismicity, and fluid diffusion.
Am J Public Health. 2016 Jan 21:e1-e7. Author: Johnston JE, Werder E, Sebastian D.
proportion of people of color living less than 5 kilometers from a disposal well was 1.3 times higher than was the proportion of non-Hispanic Whites. Adjusting for rurality, disposal wells were 2.04 times (95% confidence interval?=?2.02, 2.06) as common in areas with 80% people of color or more than in majority White areas. Disposal wells are also disproportionately sited in high-poverty areas.
:
Physicians Scientists & Engineers Healthy Energy. Authors:Zeke Hausfather | UC Berkeley/Berkeley Earth Elena Krieger, PhD | PSE Healthy Energy January 27, 2016
The EPA’s Clean Power Plan aims to cut 32% of power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, for the first time regulating climate pollutants from the sector responsible for the largest portion of these emissions. However, if upstream methane emissions are not taken into consideration, these efforts may fall far short of achieving real reductions of this magnitude across the lifecycle of electricity generation. The
By Lucija Muehlenbachs, Elisheba Spiller, and Christopher Timmins,
American Economic Review 2015.
Using data from Pennsylvania and an array of empirical techniques to control for confounding factors, we recover hedonic estimates of property value impacts from nearby shale gas development that vary with water source, well productivity, and visibility. Results indicate large negative impacts on nearby groundwater-dependent homes, while piped-water-dependent homes exhibit smaller positive impacts, suggesting benefits from lease payments. Results have implications for the debate over regulation of shale gas development.
Western Values Project: A Voice for Western Values, May, 2014.
Due to a combination of wasteful industry practices and lax federal policies, last year between 111.8 and 133.1 million mcf1 of natural gas produced energy market.
Study Authors: Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Joel D. Schwartz, Marc G. Weisskopf, Steven J. Melly, Yun Wang, Francesca Dominici, and Antonella Zanobetti. Environmental Health Perspectives, January, 2016.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and time to first hospitalization for common neurodegenerative diseases. We found strong evidence of association for all three outcomes. Our findings provide the basis for further studies, as the implications of such exposures could be crucial to public health.
Study authors: Liuhua Shi, Antonella Zanobetti, Itai Kloog, Brent A. Coull, Petros Koutrakis, Steven J. Melly, and Joel D. Schwartz Environmental Health Perspectives, January 2016.
Conclusions: Using a mutually adjusted model, we estimated significant acute and chronic effects of PM2.5 exposure below the current U.S. EPA standards. These findings suggest that improving air quality with even lower PM2.5 than currently allowed by U.S. EPA standards may benefit public health.
Newswise — Expectant mothers who live near active natural gas wells operated by the fracking industry in Pennsylvania are at an increased risk of giving birth prematurely and for having high-risk pregnancies, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
Authors: Casey JA, Savitz DA, Rasmussen SG, Ogburn EL, Pollak J, Mercer DG, Schwartz BS.
Prenatal residential exposure to unconventional natural gas development activity was associated with two pregnancy outcomes, adding to evidence that unconventional natural gas development may impact health.
Report authored by Lukas Ross, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth and peer reviewed by Thomas O. Singer, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor at the Western Environmental Law Center. Sept, 2015
Authors: Brendan M. Cosgrove, Daniel R. LaFave, Sahan T. M.
Dissanayake, and Michael R. Donihue for Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 44/2 (August 2015).
American Sociological Association Study published Sept 2, 2015 online and in October print issue of American Sociological Review. ” …a University of Iowa (UI) sociologist and his co-researchers are the first to use the Internet and social media to systematically show how a documentary film reshaped public perception and ultimately led to municipal bans on hydraulic fracking.”
On April 17, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued cost-effective regulations, required by the Clean Air Act, to reduce harmful air pollution from the oil and natural gas industry while allowing continued, responsible growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production.
Federal Register/ Vol. 77, No. 159, August 16, 2012
NVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 60 and 63 [EPA–HQ–OAR–2010–0505; FRL–9665–1] RIN 2060–AP76
August 18, 2015 – EPA has proposed a suite of commonsense requirements that together will help combat climate change, reduce air pollution that harms public health, and provide greater certainty about Clean Air Act permitting requirements for the oil and natural gas industry.
S & P Capital, August 2015
Overview
Increased fracking and rising natural gas and oil supply in the U.S. will continue altering the U.S. economy, with broad economic implications.
The practice of fracking is clearly controversial. Environmentalists and local residents have raised a number of concerns, and many within and outside of the energy industry continue to study these issues. We believe increased earthquakes near fracking sites represent a risk that could harm investors across various sectors.
While the scientific and legal debates concerning fracking as the cause of increased earthquakes continue, the increased frequency and intensity of earthquakes in certain areas is clear. The risks these earthquakes pose could lead to various credit and economic changes.
Environmental Working Group Authors: Tasha Stoiber, EWG Senior Scientist; Bill Walker, EWG Consultant; Bill Allayaud, EWG California Director of Government Affairs. Published August, 2015.
Page 3 begins the study article:
Authors: David T. Allena, Vincent M. Torresa, James Thomasa, David W. Sullivana, Matthew Harrisonb, Al Hendlerb, Scott C. Herndonc, Charles E. Kolbc, Matthew P. Fraserd, A. Daniel Hille, Brian K. Lambf, Jennifer Miskiminsg, Robert F. Sawyerh, and John H. Seinfeldi
Edited by Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, and approved August 19, 2013 (received for review March 20, 2013)
Kuishuang Feng, Steven J. Davis, Laixiang Sun, & Klaus Hubacek.
Published July 21, 2015, Nature Communications
Fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the United States decreased by B11% between 2007 and 2013, from 6,023 to 5,377 Mt. This decline has been widely attributed to a shift from the use of coal to natural gas in US electricity production. However, the factors driving the decline have not been quantitatively evaluated; the role of natural gas in the decline therefore remains speculative.
Authors: Thomas Jemielita , George L. Gerton , Matthew Neidell, Steven Chillrud, Beizhan Yan, Martin Stute, Marilyn Howarth, Pouné Saberi, Nicholas Fausti, Trevor M. Penning, Jason Roy, Kathleen J. Propert, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr. Published July 15, 2015 Funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Environmental Defense Fund Study, July, 2015. Authors: Robert Harriss, Ramon A. Alvarez, David Lyon, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Drew Nelson, and Steven P. Hamburg. Published in Environmental Science & Technology.
ICF International Report, June 22, 2015.
Project Scope and Objective
1. Characterize natural gas and methane emissions from federal and tribal lands • By state
• By segment (Production, Gathering, Processing, Transmission, and Storage) • By emission source (e.g., pneumatics, compressors, flaring)
2. Determine the value of gas lost due to venting, flaring, and fugitives from federal and tribal lands
3. Determine the potential for mitigation on federal and tribal lands
• Estimate any differences in cost efficiency of reduction options between National and federal/ tribal lands
New Energy Outlook (NEO) is Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s annual long-term view of how the world’s power markets will evolve in the future. Lead Author: Seb Henbest, Elena Giannakopoulou, June, 2015
Report by Environmental Science & Technology, June 7, 2015. Authors: Zacariah Louis Hildenbrand, Doug D Carlton, Brian Fontenot, Jesse M. Meik, Jayme Walton,
Josh Taylor, Jonathan Thacker, Stephanie Korlie, C. Phillip Shelor, Drew Henderson, Akinde Florence Kadjo, Corey Roelke, Paul F. Hudak, Taylour Burton, Hanadi S. Rifai, and Kevin A. Schug
Abstract. Study authors: Brian E. Fontenot, Laura R. Hunt, Zacariah L. Hildenbrand, Doug D. Carlton Jr., Hyppolite Oka, Jayme L. Walton, Dan Hopkins, Alexandra Osorio, Bryan Bjorndal, Qinhong H. Hu, and Kevin A. Schug. July 25, 20134
Authors: Avner Vengosh and Robert Jackson, Duke University. Scientists have developed new geochemical tracers that can identify hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids that have been spilled or released into the environment. Published October 20, 2014
Results from Community Air Monitoring Reveal Chemicals Linked to Health Hazards. Published by Coming Clean and Global Community Monitor. Published October, 2014
AUTHORS
Richard Liroff, Investor Environmental Health Network Danielle Fugere, As You Sow
Lucia von Reusner, Green Century Capital Management, Inc. Steven Heim, Boston Common Asset Management, LLC, posted Dec, 2014
Clean Air Task Force Report Summary. The full report will be available in Dec, 2014. Earthjustice, Earthworks, and Environmental Defense Fund have reviewed this report. The full text of the report will be available online at http://catf.us/resources/publications/view/205
2nd Edition, 2014; Authors Betsy Taylor and Kathy Washienko, Breakthrough Strategies & Solutions, Inc.
Crispin Pierce, Kristin Walters, Jeron Jacobson and Zachary Kroening University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire; Accepted for publication in the Journal of Environmental Health (Nov. 2015, in press). Abstract: The rapid growth of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction in the U.S. has led to more than 140 permitted “frac” sand mines and processing plants in Wisconsin.
RT Documentary–53 minutes. Published on Oct 10, 2014
All across the USA people are rising up against fracking. They don’t believe the process is safe and think it causes wide-scale land contamination. Ever more extraction sites are being approved and developed with new plant being built in once idyllic landscapes.
Nature, Oct, 2014. Authors: Haewon McJeon, Jae Edmonds, Nico Bauer, Leon Clarke, Brian Fisher, Brian P. Flannery, Jérôme Hilaire, Volker Krey, Giacomo Marangoni, Raymond Mi, Keywan Riahi, Holger Rogner & Massimo Tavoni
“Our results show that although market penetration of globally abundant gas may substantially change the future energy system, it is not necessarily an effective substitute for climate change mitigation policy9, 10.:
As natural gas extraction expands across the Central Appalachian region, that industrial-scale energy development is encroaching on public lands that are critically important for fishing and hunting. In this report, Trout Unlimited takes a deeper look into those public places, outlining the potential risks posed by gas drilling operations and providing recommendations from sportsmen and women that promote responsible energy development.
Authors: Justin L. Rubinstein, William L. Ellsworth, Arthur McGarr, and Harley M. Benz,
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 2014,
Standord Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance and Hoover Institutiion’s Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy, posted September, 2014.
by Samuel J. Maguire-Boyle and Andrew R. Barron, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts (Formerly the Journal of Environmental Monitoring), August13, 2014; abstract.
“To enhance our nations’ energy security and reliability and to protect our environment, methane emissions must be reduced. Letter signed by 49 members of Congress. May 14, 2014
Authors:
Sam Gallaher, Doctoral Candidate Jonathan Pierce, Post-Doctoral Scholar Chris Weible, Associate Professor Jennifer Kagan, Graduate Assistant Tanya Heikkila, Associate Professor Benjamin Blair, Research Associate
School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver, July, 2014
Please donate to
Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy,
an all-volunteer grassroots organization.
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URGENT! BLOCK TRUMP’S FRACKED GAS PIPELINES
Tell your Senators to hold off on confirming any new appointments to FERC!
President Donald Trump has already made it clear that he intends to trash climate change agreements and give the fossil fuel industry exactly what it wants.
But the pipeline projects being pushed by the Trump Administration cannot move forward unless they are first approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission—and FERC can’t operate without a quorum. The five-member
commission has been operating with only three members, and today it lost another one. With just two members left, it won’t be able to approve any more infrastructure projects until at least one new commissioner is seated—and
the Senate has the ability to block Trump’s FERC appointments.
The inability of FERC to do business actually counts as a step forward because for years the commission has been little more than a captive agency of the oil and gas industry, routinely greenlighting infrastructure projects with little regard for public safety.
Tell your Senators to hold off on confirming any new appointments to FERC until there has been an investigation into the commission’s failure to put the public interest ahead of the corporate interests—and until Donald Trump promises to abide by our commitment to international climate change agreements.
Phone calls can be an effective way to contact elected officials. You can find your senator’s phone number here.
Congratulations to the Victorian Parliament for finally passing the legislation to ban fracking in the state. Fracking is bad for our health, and an increasing number of reports from the United States show that there are adverse impacts on the health of nearby residents. Importantly, the burning of … [Full Story]
New information has surfaced in the water well explosion in the summer of 2014 injuring three members of a Palo Pinto County family.
According to new scientific studies commissioned by the family, and included in newly filed court papers, the explosion was the direct result of fracking operations… [Full Story]
In late February, the Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted to ban hydraulic fracturing by way of a zoning ordinance, making it the first county in the Old Dominion to totally prohibit the invasive natural gas drilling practice. The move has been praised by sportsmen and conservation groups, as … [Full Story]
The geologist who helped oil companies tap into shale formations in the lower 48 thinks Alaska will be the center of the next hydraulic fracturing boom.
[Full Story]
Beloved West Australian author Tim Winton has broken a long silence to condemn WA gas fracking and illuminate deep public mistrust, both of the mining industry and its government regulators. [Full Story]
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Josh Fox, the activist and director of the Oscar-nominated 2010 documentary Gasland, and anti-pipeline activists nationwide will spotlight the growing national opposition to new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) appointments by the Trump… [Full Story]
Last May in a win for Florida Power & Light customers, the Florida Supreme Court reversed a Florida Public Service Commission decision allowing FPL to charge ratepayers for an oil and gas exploration and drilling venture in Oklahoma.
Now two bills introduced in the Florida House and Senate on Tu… [Full Story]
Fracking, constitutional rights and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s sweeping decision in Robinson Township v. Commonwealth were all part of the arguments several property owners raised before the high court Wednesday in their attempt to block a natural gas well from coming into their town. But for … [Full Story]
Trustee Jodi Stoyak has raised welfare concerns about a company planning to drill horizontally within the township.
The company also is seeking to hydraulically fracture, or “frack,” at the site, said Steve Irwin, a spokesman with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. [Full Story]
Deafening noise, excessive dust, road congestion and sleepless nights were some of the concerns raised Tuesday to Carroll Township supervisors about an EQT gas drilling operation off Van Voorhis Lane.
[Full Story]
The House of Delegates is poised to approve a bill to ban fracking for natural gas, but the measure won’t move forward in the state Senate unless supporters can get a veto-proof majority, a key senator said Wednesday.
[Full Story]
The Senate is moving ahead with a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing, despite industry threats of a blizzard of lawsuits. But as Jim Ash reports, the House remains a big question mark.
[Full Story]
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The fracking debate is still going strong in the Maryland General Assembly as lawmakers debate on a bill to ban it.
Today, the House rejected amendments to change the bill to ban fracking, and, now, it is officially on its third reader.
[Full Story]
Next week, the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors takes up zoning proposals that would place heavy restrictions on fracking. But there’s no clear sign which way the vote will go.
On one hand, supervisors may be swayed by land owners who have sold mineral rights to oil companies. [Full Story]
An ordinance approved by Lafayette’s City Council aimed at banning fracking operations within it the city’s borders has left many with a bad taste in their mouth — including its most ardent proponents.
The ordinance, which passed 4-3 on first reading, would ban fracking operations in the city eve… [Full Story]
