“Our studies indicate that over time an increasing number of wells is significantly correlated with inpatient rates of hospitalization,” Penning stated.
The study has not been released yet but the results were revealed recently to a Senate Policy Committee meeting.
Ruth McDermott-Levy, associate professor and director of the Center for Global and Public Health at the Villanova University College of Nursing, has been researching health needs in communities in Pennsylvania where fracking is taking place and supports Senate Bill 790.
There is a relationship between certain air pollutants and lung cancer and heart disease, she said. The air pollution doesn’t just come from drilling sites, but from support facilities including compressor stations, dehydration stations and truck transport, she said.
Study: more gas wells in area leads to more hospitalizations link fixed
At a public forum last night, Tom Giovanetti, The not from Denton Master Debater, dissed a recent report from ShaleTest that showed benzene in Denton’s McKenna Park. He claimed that harmful effects of benzene decays in hours and hinted that the benzene could be coming from wood.
Giovanetti ignored some important information. The ShaleTest report was released with FLIR videos showing emissions of volatile organic compounds coming from the tanks and an explanation that the air sampling was taken as close as possible to the emission plume.
Condensate tanks and produced water tanks all come with a vent. The purpose of the vent is to allow volatile organic compounds to escape into the air. Each pad site is allowed to vent 25 tons of volatile organic compounds per year. But the industry is not required to meter the emissions escaping from the vents so it’s all just guesswork and honor system
The ShaleTest study is not the first time high levels of benzene have been detected in McKenna Park. During fracking and completion of the gas wells across the street benzene was detected on three different occasions.
Benzene was detected on three different days at 4.81 ppbv, 16.2 ppbv, and 55.4 ppbv, all are exceedences of the long-term ESL exposure limit (Center for Disease Control says long-term is one year) and one exceeds the short-term limit (short-term is typically 15 – 30 minutes). LINK
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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But our state agency doesn’t react until the place is dripping with Benzene even though this carcinogen should not be exposed to people in any amount – period. According to TCEQ per email from Star Telegram reporter, Susan Schrock…”TCEQ said an investigation is triggered when a benzene reading gets to 90 parts per billions. This has never happened with a Barnett Shale fixed air monitor though. Short term (one-hour) acceptable level is 180 parts per billion. Long term (minimum of one-year) acceptable level is 1.4 parts per billion.” And so they (our leaders) go lay back down and let the kids go play in the Benzene.
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Very good post. The BS about benzene and wood is old as the hills–go get quantities of benzene in O&G sources vs what comes from the “wood”!
If you stay indoors 100% of the time, ozone is no problem:
Texas’ Top Toxicologist: EPA’s New Smog Regulations Unnecessary, Just Stay Indoors
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/21/3582548/smog-people-stay-indoors-anyway/
Wow, worth a Nobel prize!!