A new report by environmental groups Earthworks and FracTracker Alliance contends more than 17 million people live within a half-mile “health” radius of active oil and gas wells and nearly 329,000 are in Oklahoma.
The new geospatial analysis released by Earthworks and built in cooperation with FracTracker Alliance shows at least 328,633 Oklahomans are exposed to what the environmental groups called “drilling pollution.” The groups also said the maps depicted “shockingly large numbers” of people are exposed to toxic pollution.
In Oklahoma, the map stated at least 49,000 of those close to active oil and gas wells are students while 117,318 are “non-white people” threatened by the energy operations.
“This map shows 17 million living, breathing reasons to strengthen EPA’s methane proposal. Pollution prone oil and gas wells should not be exempt from frequent monitoring, and no company should be able to burn off methane as waste,” said Earthworks’ Policy Director, Lauren Pagel.
“But no matter how strong these rules are, climate justice during a climate emergency means using every tool in the toolbox including declaring a National Emergency on climate change,” said Pagel.
In the United States, oil and gas production is the largest industrial methane polluter, a greenhouse gas at least 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
Peer-reviewed science shows that toxic pollutants released along with methane from oil and gas production facilities puts people at risk for cancer, respiratory illness, fetal defects, blood disorders, and neurological problems ––and that risk increases for children and the elderly.
“Living in close proximity to oil and gas development is a threat to public health,” said Anne C. Epstein, MD, FACP, Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Clinical Associate Professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
“Health research shows that the closer you live and the more you are exposed to oil and gas development, the higher your risk of exposure to toxic air pollution, and the higher your risk of serious heart disease, respiratory disease, and leukemia,” explained Epstein. “Seniors are more likely to die, and babies are more likely to be born with congenital heart disease and with complications of pregnancy.
Visit the Oil & Gas Threat Map website to learn more about natural gas facilities near you.