New health study shows cost of oil and gas pollution in Appalachia

livus, 10 months ago

From the article:

The study found that Pennsylvania had 605 deaths in one year from oil and gas pollution, the highest total in the region and the second most in the U.S. after Texas. Pennsylvania also had the third highest total childhood asthma exacerbations in the country, with 36,700. West Virginia had 196 total deaths and 10,100 asthma exacerbations among children, with some of the highest rates per million in the U.S.

West Virginia had the second highest deaths per million, 152, and the third highest rate of childhood asthma exacerbations per million with 36,800. Ohio also placed in the top 20% of states for total health impacts, with 349 total deaths and 15,500 total asthma exacerbations among children.

This study comes shortly after the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report, which grades counties on their levels of ozone and particulate pollution. Methane co-pollutants contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, which can worsen a host of respiratory and cardiac diseases.

Four counties in Ohio received failing grades from the ALA for ozone pollution, including Cuyahoga and Lake counties, which have oil and gas production. In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Bucks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania both received failing grades. While the Philly region doesn’t have any substantial oil and gas production, the study found that even cities far away from production still had serious health impacts that could be tied to methane pollution.