UPDATE: PA Gas Well Approval Process Threatens Public Health

For the last week, witnesses have explained to the Environmental Hearing Board about the dangers of gas well development close to schools and residential development and the harm it has done to them.  Clean Air Council and Delaware Riverkeeper Network asked neighbors and experts alike to travel to Erie, Pennsylvania to testify.  The gas well developer, Rex Energy, started presenting its witnesses today.

At issue is whether the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection properly issued a permit for Rex to drill and frack for shale gas at the Geyer site in Middlesex Township, Butler County.  The site is within a half mile of a school campus of 3000 students, and even closer to a large, new residential development with many young children.  Medical expert Dr. Jerome Paulson, a pediatrician and environmental health specialist, testified last Wednesday that children are especially vulnerable to harm from exposure to the sorts of toxic substances unconventional gas development puts into the environment.

Witnesses from the Department of Environmental Protection who review gas well permits or supervise that review also testified.  They admitted that they do no review to determine whether the gas well would be dangerous to the health of people living nearby.  Despite residents living near the Geyer wellsite sending the Department scientific and medical literature explaining the dangers of putting unconventional gas development close to where people live and work, the Department admitted it did nothing to act on that research.

Air pollution expert Dr. Ranajit Sahu testified that without doing a scientific analysis of the risks from air pollution from the Geyer wellsite, the Department cannot determine that the wells could be developed in a way that would be safe for human health and the environment.  No such investigation was done here.

For more information, visit the Council’s Protect Our Children campaign.