Earthworks Report Released: Gas Patch Roulette: How Shale Gas Development Risks Public Health in Pennsylvania

Recently, Earthworks a pro-environmental "nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development while seeking sustainable solutions," released a report titled, Gas Patch Roulette: How Shale Gas Development Risks Public Health in Pennsylvania (2012). The 51-page report available here is alleged to be "[t]he largest health survey to-date of Marcellus Shale residents living near oil and gas development . . . [as the report] surveyed 108 residents in 14 Pennsylvania counties, and conducted air and water tests at more than half of the households were surveys were completed."  According to the website the main conclusions of the report are as follows;

1. Contaminants associated with oil and gas development are present in air and water in many communities where development is occurring.

2. Many residents have developed health symptoms that they did not have before—indicating the strong possibility that they are occurring because of gas development.

3. By permitting widespread gas development without fully understanding its impacts to public health—and using that lack of knowledge to justify regulatory inaction—Pennsylvania and other states are risking the public’s health.

Earthworks Report Released: Breaking All the Rules: The Crisis in Oil & Gas Regulatory Enforcement

Recently, Earthworks a pro-environmental "nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development while seeking sustainable solutions," released the results of a one-year study of state enforcement data and practices in Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, New York, New Mexico and Colorado."  Entitled, Breaking All the Rules: The Crisis in Oil & Gas Regulatory Enforcement (2012), the 125 page report available here is free as downloadable pdf and is accompanied by six individual state reports:

• Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
• New Mexico Oil and Gas Conservation Division
• New York Department of Environmental Conservation
• Ohio Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• Texas Railroad Commission

For more information on the underlying data used to generate these reports please consult the following links:

Colorado

• Colorado Oil & Gas Enforcement
• Colorado Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• Colorado Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• Colorado Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations

New Mexico

• New Mexico Oil & Gas Enforcement
• New Mexico Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• New Mexico Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• New Mexico Oil & Gas Enforcement - the Public’s Role
• New Mexico Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations

New York

• New York Oil & Gas Enforcement
• New York Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• New York Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• New York Oil & Gas Enforcement - Public Participation
• New York Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations

Ohio

• Ohio Oil & Gas Enforcement
• Ohio Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• Ohio Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• Ohio Oil & Gas Enforcement - the Public’s Role
• Ohio Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Enforcement
• Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Enforcement - Public Participation
• Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations

Texas

• Texas Oil & Gas Enforcement
• Texas Oil & Gas Enforcement - Enforcement Actions
• Texas Oil & Gas Enforcement - Inspections
• Texas Oil & Gas Enforcement - Public Participation
• Texas Oil & Gas Enforcement - Violations