Jun 3, 2023 3 min read

Environmental health groups are seeking an update on the status of a pair of studies about fracking and health issues, after those studies were OK’d by the state Department of Health more than three years ago.

Five groups – the Center for Coalfield Justice, Environmental Health Project, Mountain Watershed Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, and FracTracker Alliance – have started a petition calling on the DOH and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health to provide the public with an update of the studies and to report the results or let Southwestern Pennsylvania communities know when those results will be available.

More than 315 people have signed the petition as of Friday.

In November 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf allocated $3 million for a pair of studies to explore the potential health impacts of oil and gas development after families impacted by Ewing sarcoma and other rare forms of cancer asked that the state investigate whether shale gas development played a role in those rare cancers.

An emailed statement from the DOH on Friday said, “The studies conducted by the University of Pittsburgh under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Health on the health effects of hydraulic fracturing in southwest Pennsylvania are nearing conclusion and the results will be shared in a public forum.”

Since 2008, dozens of children and young adults have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and other forms of cancer in Washington, Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.

In the Canon-McMillan School District, there have been at least six cases of Ewing sarcoma.

Pitt’s studies, called PA Health and Environmental Studies, encompassed eight counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland. It looked to determine if there are any links between fracking and the high number of childhood cancers, and to explore any relationship between fracking and an increased risk of asthma and poor birth outcomes.

Through September 2022, Pitt provided quarterly reports of the studies on its website.

In October, representatives from DOH and Pitt pulled out of a public forum organized by CCJ and the other environmental groups to discuss the studies, saying the studies were ongoing and no data was yet available to share publicly.

Instead, DOH set up an online questionnaire to solicit feedback and answer questions for two weeks after the Oct. 5 meeting was held.

Lisa DePaoli, communications manager for CCJ, said the organization was told by DOH to expect a public meeting in the first week of June, but that has been pushed back and she hasn’t been told when a meeting will be held.

She said residents deserve a status update.

“As a researcher, I understand things get pushed back,” said DePaoli. “But people just want an update.”