PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 5, 2026) – Today, local elected officials, healthcare professionals, and Philadelphians suffering from asthma rallied at Philadelphia City Hall for strong health protections to reduce the harmful air pollution that leads to diseases like asthma.
Their message was clear: people are not expendable. Speakers called on the EPA as well as local, state, and federal officials to uphold the science, protect vulnerable communities, and defend clean air standards that save lives. Millions of Americans are already breathing dirty air, suffering higher rates of asthma, emergency hospitalizations, and premature death.
“Philly’s air quality just received a failing grade and is only getting worse. We need to hold elected officials accountable for letting polluters turn our air into an asthma incubator. We deserve an EPA that works for us, not Big Oil. And Mayor Parker needs to end Philly’s dirty deal with trash incinerators that turns our waste into toxic air and ash,” said Jamie Gauthier, Philadelphia City Council
“Last week, the American Lung Association released its state of the air report. Unfortunately, Philadelphia received an F grade. That’s because of unacceptable high levels of particulate matter and ozone in our air. Both are bronchial irritants that could trigger asthma and make it difficult to breathe,“ said Dr. Walter Tsou, former Philadelphia Health Commissioner.
“I have seen and felt, firsthand, the effects of poor air quality on my health and the health of my patients. Worsening of illness, increased hospitalizations, disability, and sadly, death,“ said Grace Wummer, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.
“Colds are inevitable, but the pollution that exacerbates my daughter’s condition isn’t. 7.3 million children are living in counties with failing air quality grades. If we would not accept failing schools, we should not accept failing air. The next generation is paying the price for today’s political choices. I’m looking to our leaders to take a stand against pollution and look out for the little lungs that need care and help — like my daughter,” said Nick Zuwiala-Rogers, Clean Air Council.
“Unless they know we’re watching, politicians trade our health to do deals with dirty industry. Take our actions at cleanairactionfund.org to tell them what your priorities are and remind them that we pay their salaries,“ said Liz Green Schultz, Clean Air Action.
PITTSBURGH, PA (August 14, 2024) – Today, fracking company CNX released a report on the results of its efforts to monitor six air pollutants for a few months at locations near its rural fracking sites. The report, based on self-reported data, makes the sweeping conclusion that “CNX Natural Gas Development Poses No Public Health Risks.”
Of the thousands of chemicals released in fracking, CNX hand-selected six to monitor for in the air. The report did not acknowledge the significant increases in those pollutants its monitors identified downwind of its facilities. The report also did not attempt to address the science demonstrating that there is likely no safe level of cancer-causing pollutants such as benzene, which CNX’s data showed that its sites sent into the atmosphere.
CNX’s “no public health risks” conclusion is contradicted by more than 100 studies identifying the toxic air pollution from fracking and public health studies such as that done last year by the University of Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which showed strong evidence of increased illnesses in patients living near fracking wells. CNX’s report stems from a 2023 partnership with Governor Shapiro’s administration.
“CNX’s radically dishonest and irresponsible fracking report fails the fundamental tests of scientific integrity,” said Alex Bomstein, Executive Director of Clean Air Council. “The Shapiro administration should immediately disavow the report and distance itself from this propaganda.”
“There are mountains of evidence showing that from cradle to grave, fracking poses a significant risk to the public’s health,” noted David Masur, Executive Director for PennEnvironment. “Some of the glaring errors and misinformation announced today are just the tip of the toxic iceberg when it comes to harmful discharges into our air and water from fracking.”
“People in the Commonwealth are suffering and this blatant disregard for the real world hurt done for over a decade is unconscionable,” said Gillian Graber, Executive Director of Protect PT. “Governor Shapiro should know that we are not buying the snake oil, the people of Pennsylvania are too smart for that.”
“CNX has a lot of nerve to suggest that their self-collected and self-reported data can disprove a series of studies that looked at the very real, very heartbreaking impacts that children across nine counties experience living near fracking,” said Sarah Martik, Executive Director of Center for Coalfield Justice. “Governor Shapiro needs to wake up to the damage he is perpetuating by continuing in this partnership and by failing to acknowledge Pitt’s state-sponsored, peer-reviewed research.”
“CNX’s August 14th press release appears to be an attempt to dupe investors, operators, and decision makers into adopting the faulty Radical Transparency methodology across the Commonwealth in order to shape Pennsylvania’s energy policy. This is an extremely misguided idea, given ample evidence showing the health risks associated with fracking,” said Shannon Smith, Executive Director of FracTracker Alliance. “Furthermore, their data is opaque. For example, CNX does not disclose all of the chemicals used in its operations, because the disclosures contain trade secrets.”
