Protect children from drilling
Pennsylvania children attending school in proximity to oil and gas drilling and processing activities will be exposed to pollution that threatens their health, development and safety when returning to class in the coming weeks. The final draft revisions to the state’s oil and gas regulations released earlier this month have failed to protect them.
When shale gas activities are placed near schools, it is an industrial zone and not a learning environment. Well pads, compressor stations, water-filling stations or pipelines pose health and safety risks to students when placed within a mile from school property. Children are more susceptible to health impacts from poor air quality produced by shale gas development in our region. Children have a higher resting heart rate and, as a result, children exposed to air contaminants breathe in more toxins per pound of body weight than adults.
When I think about having children, bringing them up in this community, and sending them to school, I don’t want to have to make the decision between new clothing and school supplies or an asthma inhaler. Our local and state officials have an obligation to protect vulnerable members of our community and our future. If you have children, are thinking about having children or are concerned about future generations, check out the Protect Our Children Coalition, a statewide coalition working to protect students from the risks of shale gas development.
Eva Westheimer
Washington
Westheimer is a community organizer with the Center for Coalfield Justice.