The Social Costs of Fracking

7/29/2019 The Social Costs of Fracking

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The Social Costs of

A PENNSYLVANIA CASE STUDY


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Execuive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Inroducion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3The Social Coss o Fracking Boomowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The High Social Cos o Fracking in Rural Pennsylvania Counies: Analysis and Findings . . . 5

Truck crashes rise in Pennsylvania rural racked counies;

seepes jumps and rends in mos heavily racked counies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Social disorder crimes increased in rural Pennsylvania

counies wih he highes densiies o racking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Sexually ransmited inecion rose ases in

rural Pennsylvania counies where racking began. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Conclusion and Recommendaions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Mehodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Endnoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12


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2 Food & Water Watch www.foodandwaterwatch.org

Executive SummaryPennsylvanias naural gas boom has brough housands

o new gas wells, a number o ransien workers and a

hos o social problems. Food & Waer Wach ound ha

rafic accidens, civic disurbances and public healh

problems in rural Pennsylvania counies have increased

since he shale rush began in 2005, diminishing he

qualiy o lie or residens o once-bucolic communiies.

Economic downurns like he Grea Recession are oen

associaed wih negaive oucomes, bu hese social and

public healh coss increased more in rural counies wih

he new shale gas wells han in rural counies wihou

shale gas drilling. These negaive social impacs were

especially pronounced in he counies wih he highes

densiy o shale gas wells.

The oil and gas indusry has surged over he pas decade

by employing new echniques and echnologies ha

combine horizonal drilling and hydraulic racuring (orracking) o exrac gas rom shale and oher under-

ground rock ormaions. Fracking injecs large quaniies

o waer, sand and oxic chemicals under high pressure

o release gas ighly held in rock layers.1 Fracking has

expanded rapidly in areas across he counry, bu Penn-

sylvania has been a he epicener o he naions racking

boom, wih nearly 5,000 shale gas wells drilled beween

2005 and 2011.2

The racking boom has brough heavy rucks crowding

rural roads and ou-o-sae workers looding small owns,

oen overwhelming local housing, police and public healhcapaciies. The inlux o ransien workers wih disposable

income and litle o do in heir of hours is a recipe or

rouble in small-own America, where alcohol-relaed

crimes, rafic accidens, emergency room visis and sexu-

ally ransmited inecion have all been on he rise.

Much o he naional discussion abou racking has

ocused on he obvious environmenal risks, while he

social coss o racking have been largely ignored. This

sudy is he irs deailed, long-erm analysis o he social

coss o racking borne by rural Pennsylvania communi-ies. Key indings include:

Fracking is associaed wih more heavy-ruckcrashes: Heavy-ruck crashes rose 7.2 percen in

heavily racked rural Pennsylvania counies (wih a

leas one well or every 15 square miles) bu ell 12.4

in unracked rural counies aer racking began in

2005.

Fracking is associaed wih more social disorderarress: Disorderly conduc arress increased by 17.1

percen in heavily racked rural counies, compared o

12.7 percen in unracked rural counies.

Fracking is associaed wih more cases o

sexually ransmited inecions: Aer racking,he average increase in chlamydia and gonorrheacases was 62 percen greaer in heavily racked rural

counies han in unracked rural counies.

The shale oil and gas boom generaes angible social

coss ha undermine he qualiy o lie in rural commu-

niies. Communiies and saes mus ake hese real coss

ino accoun when hey consider approving conroversial

new oil and gas racking.

These racking-associaed social coss urher demon-

srae he shorsighed invesmen and expansion o

diry ossil uels. The Unied Saes can ransiion of o

ossil uels, bu his will require remaking he U.S. energy

sysem around proven clean energy soluions: conserva-

ion, eficiency and renewables. This energy ransorma-

ion would underpin broad-based and susained economic

growh; circumven he environmenal, social and public

healh coss o exracing and burning ossil uels; and

usher in an era o rue U.S. energy securiy, independence

and resilience.

FRACKING RI G IN MORELAND TOWNSHIP, PA

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The Social Costs o Fracking A Pennsylvania Case Study 3

IntroductionOver he pas decade, he oil and gas indusry has

experienced a renaissance ha has been a boon o energy

companies3 bu has alered he qualiy o lie or he

rural communiies where mos new gas wells have been

drilled.4 Naionally, he number o new oil and gas wells

drilled annually increased 73 percen, rom 30,900 in 2003

o 53,600 in 2008, bu hen receded o 39,100 in 2011,

according o daa compiled by ProPublica.5 These naural

gas and oil wells use new echniques and echnologies

combining horizonal drilling and hydraulic racuring,

or racking, o release oil and gas ighly held in rock

ormaions.

Much o he public debae has ocused on he demon-

srable environmenal risks rom he racking process,

which involves injecing large quaniies o waer, sand

and oxic chemicals under high pressure o crack he rock

and release oil and gas.6 Mehane, racking luids and

wasewaer can pollue waer supplies and imperil helivelihoods o armers, who rely on clean waer.7 Increased

ruck rafic and drilling emissions reduce air qualiy,8

and mehane leaks conribue o global warming,9 while

he prolieraion o naural gas derricks desroys prisine

landscapes (as well as relaed ourism and recreaion

indusries).10

Alhough he energy indusry has promoed racking as

osering economic developmen, job creaion and energy

independence,11 he employmen beneis have been

signiicanly overhyped, someimes overesimaing hejob-creaing beneis o racking nineold.12

Bu policymakers have largely ignored he signiican

social impacs on rural communiies: declining qualiy

o lie and increased sress on he social abric o small

owns. Energy booms creae inense pressures on local

communiies. The lood o ou-o-sae workers wih ew

local social ies, pleny o money o spend and litle o do

can overwhelm he limied capaciy o mee he growing

needs and new challenges.13 The Associaed Presssumma-

rized he problem:

In a modern-day echo o he raucous Old Wes, small

owns enjoying a boom in oil and gas drilling are seeing

a sharp increase in drunken driving, bar ighs and oher

hell-raising, blamed largely on an inlux o young men

who ind hemselves wih los o money in heir pockes

and nohing o do afer hey ge o work.14

Pennsylvanias par o he Marcellus Shale ormaion has

been ground-zero o he racking boom. Pennsylvania

declared isel he naions drilling epicener, and

an aricle in he Villanova Environmenal Law Journal

observed ha Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale play has

creaed renzy among naural gas drilling similar o he

Gold Rush.15

The Marcellus Shale is one o he larges shale gas

reserves in he coninenal Unied Saes. More han a

hird o i is in Pennsylvania.

16

The irs new Marcelluswell was drilled by Range Resources in 2003, and

commercial producion began in 2005.17 Over he nex six

years, he number o new racking wells drilled each year

increased nearly 250 imes, rom eigh wells in 2005 o

1,972 in 2011.18 O he nearly 5,000 new shale gas wells

drilled beween 2005 and 2011, our ou o ive (79.3

percen) were locaed in rural counies; he res were in

counies ha have meropolian areas.19 (See Figure 1.)

The swi prolieraion o racking in Pennsylvania was

accompanied by a hos o social coss as workers looded

small owns in he Marcellus Shale. Food & Waer Wachanalyzed a decade o annual, couny-level gas drilling,

rafic acciden, crime and public healh daa rom beore

and aer racking was commercialized in Pennsylvania

in 2005 and ound ha racking was associaed wih

increased social coss in rural Pennsylvania counies, and

he counies wih he highes densiy o racking wells

experienced he greaes impacs.

Figure 1. New Shale Gas Wells

Drilled in Pennsylvania, 20052011

SOURCE: FOOD & WATER WATCH ANALYSIS OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENTOF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WELL DATA

114

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

334

814

1,229

1,347

379

625Rural counties

Metro-area counties


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Food & Waer Wachs indings provide concree evidence

o he widespread media reporing ha racking conrib-

ues o increased rafic accidens, crime and sexually

ransmited inecions. The resuls also are consisen

wih he academic lieraure demonsraing he negaive

communiy impacs rom he oil and coal boomowns

ha sprang up in he wake o he 1970s energy crisis.

Food & Waer Wachs new analysis adds conex o he

racking debae and is he irs deailed and longiu-dinal examinaion o he social cos o racking on rural

communiies.

The Social Costs ofFracking BoomtownsThe racking boom has ransormed some rural commu-

niies ino modern versions o Wild Wes mining owns.

New workers rush o he discovery o new oil, gas or

mineral deposis, creaing a quick populaion bulge in

small, rural communiies ha have a limied capaciy o

mee he growing needs and challenges.20 Energy boom-

owns oen ace rising levels o crime, subsance abuse,

menal illness and suicide, housing shorages, price

inlaion, divorce, school overcrowding and overexended

public services.21

Aer he 1970s energy crisis, he high price o oil spurred

an energy exploraion boom ha launched hundreds o

new oil, coal and oher projecs.22 The subsequen decade

o expanding energy exracion across he Rocky Moun-

ain and Norhern Plain saes also brough widespread

disrupions o rural communiies. Exensive academicresearch documened he signiican social coss o

communiies.23

Energy booms can disrup he abric o sociey. A 1977

sudy o Norh Dakoa and Wyoming coal boomowns

ound ha energy exploraion changed he way o lie

in small owns.24 Similarly, a 1974 sudy o he impacs

o coal-relaed developmen on wo Monana owns

ound, The residens sense o communiy in Forsyh

and Colsrip is deiniely breaking down.25 Gillete

Syndrome, named aer a well-known coal own in

Wyoming, became he epihe or, as described in abook abou energy boomowns, he depression, divorce,

alcoholism, and delinquency ha bese communiies on

he energy ronier.26

The lood o new energy workers can exceed he available

housing sock in rural areas. Local rens and housing

prices can rise and workers may be orced o live in

overcrowded and squalid condiions ha urher sress

he communiy. In he 1970s, a coal mining company

esablished railer cours o accommodae coal workers

in Colsrip, Mon.27

In Gillete, coal miners and heiramilies lived in squater colonies o mobile homes ha

requenly lacked suficien waer and saniaion inra-

srucure.28

Today, racking has exered similar pressures on rural

areas, including hose in Pennsylvania. Almos all

racking jobs occur during he drilling phase and are

illed, a leas iniially, by ou-o-sae employees or

workers ha relocae o he gas owns, which uels

populaion growh.29 In Norh Dakoa, he inlux o

young male racking workers, many o whom reain heir

primary homes elsewhere and live in man camps, has

creaed an unsae amosphere or women and given he

sae he naions hird-highes single male-o-emale

raio.30 In Pennsylvania, housing shorages are doubling

and ripling local rens, orcing lower-income workers

who had previously been sel-suficien o urn o public

assisance or help covering he higher cos o living.31

Food & Waer Wach ound ha racking undermined he

qualiy o lie in Pennsylvanias rural communiies.


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The High Social Cost of Frackingin Rural Pennsylvania Counties:Analysis and FindingsFood & Waer Wach ound ha shale gas drilling was

associaed wih higher levels o rafic accidens, arress

or civil disurbances and sexually ransmited inecions

in rural Pennsylvania counies. Moreover, his rend was

sronges in counies wih he highes densiy o rackingwells. These indings sugges ha drilling and racking

can impose real social coss on rural communiies (rafic

accidens, crime and public healh problems) and ha he

mos heavily racked counies bear he greaes social coss.

The sudy examined a decade o annual, couny-level

daa or rafic accidens (heavy-ruck accidens), civic

disurbances (disorderly conduc arress) and public healh

cases (he oal number o gonorrhea and chlamydia

cases) over wo periods: beore racking (2000 o 2005) and

aer he commercializaion o racking in Pennsylvania

(2005 o 2010). The sudy looked a Pennsylvanias 35 rural

counies and compared he 12 counies where no racking

occurred o he 23 counies wih racking. Addiionally, he

analysis examined he op-hird mos-racked counies;

hese eigh mos heavily racked counies had a leas one

well or every 15 square miles.32 (See Figure 2.)

For each social indicaor, he analysis compared he prev-

alence (or example, he average annual numbero heavy-

ruck crashes) and he average year-o-yearchange (e.g.,

he average annual percen increase or decrease in henumber o heavy-ruck crashes) rom he beore-racking

period o he aer-racking period. These measuremens

demonsrae rends or each social indicaor beore and

aer racking began in Pennsylvania.

Truck crashes rise in Pennsylvaniarural fracked counties; steepest jumpsand trends in most heavily fracked countiesEnergy booms bring dramaically increased road conges-

ion and heavy-ruck rafic because o he need o

deliver equipmen, supplies and workers o drilling sies.Naionally, he number o auomobile accidens has been

declining seadily since 2005,33 and in Pennsylvania, he

Figure 2. Fracking in Rural Pennsylvania Counties

SOURCE: FOOD & WATER WATCH ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM U.S. CENSUS BUREAUS STATE AND COUNTY QUICKFACTS DATABASE AND PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. INTERACTIVE REPORTS, WELLS DRILLED BY COUNTY.

Metro counties Unfracked rural counties Fracked rural counties Heavily fracked rural counties


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number o all crashes and he number o heavy-ruck

crashes have generally been declining since 2000.34

Food & Waer Wach ound ha or rural Pennsylvania

counies, racking is associaed wih a curailmen o his

rend a slowing o he decrease in heavy-ruck crashes

while rural Pennsylvania counies wih he highesdensiy o racking acually saw an increase in heavy-

ruck crashes in he pos-racking period. The decrease

in he average annual number o oal vehicle crashes

was 39 percen larger in unracked rural counies han in

heavily racked counies.35

Food & Waer Wach ound ha he rural Pennsylvania

counies wih he highes densiy o racking had he

larges increase in heavy-ruck crashes aer racking

began in 2005. Aer racking began, he average annual

change in ruck accidens rended upward in he counies

wih racking wells (aer rending down beore racking

sared) and coninued o decline in unracked counies

aer racking began.

The surging rafic rom energy booms srains he

capaciy o rural roadways and conribues o rising ruck

and auomobile accidens.36 Each racking well requires

housands o ruck rips o deliver hazardous racking

luid and maerials and o haul away racking wasewaer,

signiicanly increasing local ruck rafic.37 The growh

in ruck rafic has led o more heavy-vehicle accidens

(some o which spilled racking wasewaer ino surace

waer) and added o cosly wear and ear on rural roads.38

The increased racking rafic on previously uncongesed

roads brings big-ciy rafic jams o rural Pennsylvaniacommuniies. Marcellus Shale region school oficials have

ideniied racking-relaed rafic congesion as a socio-

economic challenge.39 The boroughs o Wellsboro and

Mansield in Tioga Couny (where here was one racking

well or every wo square miles by 2011) have issued more

rafic ciaions and repored more road congesion.40

The Waynesburg Area Chamber o Commerce execuive

direcor in Greene Couny (one well per square mile)

repored ha he racking indusrys heavy rucks have

knocked rear-view mirrors of he sides o parked cars.41

Fracking-relaed rafic congesion and accidens pose

signiican hazards o local residens. In Bradord Couny

(one well per square mile), increased rafic has delayed

he response imes o emergency vehicles.42 In some

racked Pennsylvania counies, he number o 911 calls has

increased signiicanly, oen wih repors o ruck acci-

dens (up 46 percen rom 2009 o 2010 in McKean Couny

and up 49 percen rom 2007 o 2010 in Tioga Couny). 43


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Heavy-ruck crashes increased 7 percen in heavilyracked rural Pennsylvania counies bu declined 12percen in unracked rural counies once rackingbegan: The average annual number o heavy-ruckcrashes increased 7.2 percen in heavily racked counies

(wih a leas one well or every 15 square miles), rising

rom an average o 284 crashes a year in he pre-racking

period (2000 o 2005) o an average o 304 crashes in he

pos-racking period (2005 o 2010). In conras, heavy-ruck crashes ell 12.4 percen in unracked rural counies

and ell 1.3 percen in all racked counies (including he

heavily racked counies).44 (See Figure 3.)

Pos-racking, heavy-ruck crashes grew by anaverage o 9 percen a year in heavily racked ruralPennsylvania counies bu ell by an average o 3percen a year in unracked rural counies: Beween

2000 and 2005, he number o heavy-ruck crashes

(crashes per million vehicle miles) ell by an average o

0.4 percen a year in rural counies ha would laer hosracking and declined by 1.6 percen a year in wha would

laer be heavily racked rural counies. Fracking appears

o have conribued o a reversal o ha rend.

During he pos-racking period, heavy-ruck crashes

increased by an average o 1.2 percen annually in all

racked counies and by 8.8 percen in heavily racked

counies. In unracked counies, heavy-ruck crashes

coninued o decline wih an average decrease o 3.1

percen a year. (See Figure 4.)

Social disorder crimes increasedin rural Pennsylvania countieswith the highest densities of frackingThe large inlux o ransien racking workers can lead

o higher levels o social disorder, especially subsance

abuse and alcohol-relaed crimes. The socially isolaed

workers have ample incomes and litle o occupy heir

ime in rural communiies. One 23-year-old ransienworker residing in Pennsylvania admited: We deiniely

do drink a lo. I ain going o lie.45 Food & Waer Wach

ound ha he counies wih he highes densiy o

racking wells (a leas 15 wells per square mile) had a

greaer increase in disorderly conduc arress han rural

unracked counies once racking began in 2005.

Academic research documened ha during he 1970s,

ransien energy workers conribued o sharply increased

crime and alcohol-relaed disurbances. Crime increased

alarmingly across boomowns o he wesern saes

rom Colorado o Uah o Norh Dakoa.46 In RockSprings, Wyo., police calls jumped iveold and alcohol-re-

laed crimes quadrupled beween 1969 and 1974.47 A 1976

repor explained ha in Gillete, Wyo., The jail became

a holding pen o resrain drunks and proec wives rom

heir husbands.48

Todays racking ronier communiies ace similar sharp

increases in crime and disorder ha diminish qualiy

o lie.49 The Pennsylvania Sae Police linked increased

SOURCE, FIGURES 3 AND 4: FOOD & WATER WATCH ANALYSIS OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DATA.

Figure 3. Post-Fracking Change in theAverage Number of Heavy-Truck Crashes

0%

Figure 4. Average Annual Changein Heavy-Truck Crashes, 20052010(CRASHES PER MILLION VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED)

Heavilyfrackedcounties

7.2%

-1.3%

All rural fracked

Ruralunfracked

-12.4%0%


8.8%

Ruralunfracked

-3.1%

1.2%

All rural fracked


10/16


crime o naural gas workers, which burdens sae and

local police deparmens.50 The police chie in Wellsboro,

Pa., atribued signiican increases in alcohol-relaed

crime, including public inoxicaion, bar-room brawls

and drunk driving, o shale gas indusry workers. 51 For

example, he average annual number o public inoxica-

ion arress rose 11.9 percen in he pos-racking period

in heavily racked rural counies and 8.7 percen in all

racked rural counies.52 The mos-racked Pennsylvaniacommuniies have experienced seep upicks in drunken

driving, rafic violaions and bar ighs.53

Disorderly conduc arress rose a hird more seeply

in heavily racked rural counies afer rackingbegan han in unracked rural counies: The averageannual number o disorderly conduc arress in he mos

heavily racked counies rose 17.1 percen, rom 1,336

prior o commercial racking (2000 o 2005) o an average

o 1,564 per year aer racking. (See Figure 5.) This

increase is one-hird higher han he 12.7 percen increasein he average annual number o disorderly conduc

arress in unracked rural counies.

The average annual increase in disorderly conduc

arress was hree imes higher in heavily rackedrural Pennsylvania counies afer racking beganhan in unracked rural counies: From 2005 o 2010,disorderly conduc arress grew by an average o 6.9

percen a year in he mos heavily racked counies,

reversing an average annual 3.7 percen decline seen

beween 2000 and 2005. This increase was more han

hree imes aser han he 2.1 percen average annual

increase in unracked rural counies rom 2005 o 2010

(up rom a 0.4 percen annual increase rom 2000 o

2005). (See Figure 6.) In all racked rural counies,

disorderly conduc arress declined by an average o 1.7

percen annually rom 2000 o 2005, bu i declined by

only 0.9 percen a year rom 2005 o 2010.

Sexually transmitted infectionsrose fastest in rural Pennsylvaniacounties where fracking beganEnergy booms can conribue o public healh problems

as ransien workers overwhelm he capaciy o rural

hospials and healh sysems are inundaed wih new,

oen-uninsured paiens and public healh problems,

including an increase in he incidence o occupaional

injuries, rafic accidens, menal illness, subsance abuse

and sexually ransmited inecions (STIs).54

Fracking is associaed wih increased cases o sexually

ransmited inecions and assaul. In oil boomowns

in Norh Dakoa, docors are reaing more chlamydia

cases, sexual and domesic assaul raes have increased,

and many local women have repored eeling unsae.55

Pennsylvanias gas boom has been linked o a rise in

sexually ransmited inecions.56 In Bradord Couny (one

racking well or every square mile), a hospial atribued

an increase in STIs o he Marcellus Shale indusry.57

SOURCE, FIGURES 5 AND 6: FOOD & WATER WATCH ANALYSIS OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE REPORTING DATABASE, UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM.

Figure 5. Post-Fracking Change inAverage Disorderly Conduct Arrests

Figure 6. Average Annual Change inDisorderly Conduct Arrests, 20052010

0%


17.1% Ruralunfracked

12.7%

2.1%

All rural fracked 0%


6.9%

Ruralunfracked

2.1%

-0.9%

All rural fracked


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The increase in he average annual number o caseso sexually ransmited inecions was greaer inheavily racked rural counies han in unrackedrural counies: The average annual number o gonor-rhea and chlamydia cases increased by nearly a hird

(32.4 percen) in he mos heavily racked rural Pennsyl-

vania counies once racking began 62 percen more

han he 20.1 percen increase in rural unracked counies.

(See Figure 7.)

During he pos-racking period, he number ocases o sexually ransmited inecions increased

wice as as in heavily racked counies as inunracked counies: Aer racking began, he numbero chlamydia and gonorrhea cases increased by an

average o 8.0 percen a year in he mos heavily racked

rural counies, more han wice he 3.8 percen a year

average increase in unracked rural counies. (See Figure

8.) All racked rural counies had an average annual

increase o 4.6 percen.The average annual growh in STI cases was much

greaer or all rural counies during he pre-racking

period (2000 o 2005), bu unracked counies saw he

STI growh rae plunge by more han wo-hirds during

he second hal o he decade (2005 o 2010) dropping

rom 12.4 percen a year o 3.8 percen a year. Heavily

racked counies, however, saw only a sligh decrease in

he STI growh rae rom 9.8 percen pre-racking o 8.0

percen pos-racking.

Conclusions andRecommendationsThe expansion o drilling and racking is associaed wih

signiican qualiy-o-lie and public healh problems

in rural Pennsylvania communiies. These indings are

consisen wih a wealh o academic lieraure demon-

sraing he negaive social consequences o rapidly

developing energy boomowns. I also suppors exensive

anecdoal evidence rom communiy leaders and media

repors ha he rise in racking has also delivered

angible harms o rural lie.Bu more research is needed o beter undersand he

long-erm public healh impacs o he racking indusry.

According o a Sepember 2012 U.S. Governmen

Accounabiliy Ofice repor, Oil and gas developmen,

wheher convenional or shale oil and gas, pose inheren

environmenal and public healh risks, bu he exen o

hese risks associaed wih shale oil and gas developmen

is unknown, in par, because he sudies GAO reviewed

Figure 7. Post-Fracking Change in AverageNumber of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Cases

Figure 8. Average Annual Change inChlamydia and Gonorrhea Cases, 20052010

SOURCE, FIGURES 7 AND 8: FOOD & WATER WATCH ANALYSIS OF PENNSYLVANIADEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STATISTICS AND RESEARCH DATA.

0%


32.4%

Ruralunfracked

20.1%

All ruralfracked

27.2%

0%


8.0%

Ruralunfracked

3.8%

All ruralfracked

4.6%


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do no generally ake ino accoun he poenial long-

erm, cumulaive efecs.58 Similarly, in January 2012, he

Direcor o he Naional Cener or Environmenal Healh

a he U.S. Ceners or Disease Conrol and Prevenion

in Alana old he Associaed Press, More research is

needed or us o undersand public healh impacs rom

naural gas drilling and new gas drilling echnologies.59

Proponens ou racking as a panacea or energy inde-pendence and job creaion, bu he social coss ideni-

ied in his sudy have real economic impacs on rural

communiies as well. Trafic accidens and public disorder

arress associaed wih racking cos counies and munic-

ipaliies wih already-sreched inances. Responding o

racking-relaed emergencies also divers irs responders

rom oher emergencies.

Local economies can also bear signiican economic coss.

For example, i heavy-ruck accidens had coninued o

decline a he pre-racking rae, heavily racked Penn-

sylvania counies would have avoided signiican coss.A ypical heavy-ruck acciden in Pennsylvania rafic

has an esimaed economic cos o $216,229 relaed o

deahs, injuries and propery damage. In heavily racked

counies, i he number o heavy-ruck accidens (per

million vehicle miles raveled) had coninued o all a

is pre-racking average o 1.6 percen a year, insead o

increasing by an average o 8.8 percen a year aer 2005,

here would have been 131 ewer heavy-ruck accidens

beween 2006 and 2010. The addiional heavy-ruck

accidens represen an esimaed $28 million economic

burden on hose heavily racked counies.60

These considerable social coss and he associaed

economic coss only add o he mouning evidence

agains he long-erm environmenal and economic

viabiliy o racking. Communiies and saes mus

ake hese real coss ino accoun when hey consider

approving conroversial new oil and gas racking.

I is long pas ime o move away rom diry ossil

uels and o inves in clean, renewable energy. Bu he

deep-pockeed ossil uel indusry wih is increasingly

inensive exracion mehods, enrenched inrasrucure

and lack o invesmen in energy conservaion o slowdemand or is produc is rying o derail he necessary

ransormaion. Now is he ime or he Unied Saes o

declare independence rom he oil and gas indusry. Food

& Waer Wach recommends:

Invesing in independen research devoid o indusry

unding or afiliaion o honesly assess he coss and

beneis o racking, and ha weighs he purpored

economic gains agains he social and environmenal

coss;

Enacing aggressive policies o reduce energy

demand, including subsanial invesmens in public

ransporaion, communiy planning and he deploy-

men o energy eficiency soluions;

Esablishing ambiious renewable energy programs

or deploying and incenivizing exising echnologies,

such as wind and solar power, o increase he clean

energy supply;

Modernizing he elecric grid wih smar grid solu-

ions, caering o disribued renewable power gener-

aion and promoing conservaion;

Invesing in developmen o help he clean ech-nology indusry overcome barriers o he nex gener-

aion o clean energy soluions; and

Implemening a naional ban on racking.

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t/


13/16


Methodology and DataFood & Waer Wach analyzed a decade o socioeconom-

ic-indicaor daa rom rural Pennsylvania counies and

compared hese indicaors beore and aer hydraulic

racuring (racking) was commercialized in he sae

in 2005. Counies were classiied as rural i hey were

ouside any sandard meropolian saisical area, as

deermined by he U.S. Census Bureau and Ofice o

Managemen and Budge. Primary couny-level daa

were obained rom governmenal agencies. All o he

daa were annual, couny-level daa or years rom 2000

o 2010. The socioeconomic indicaors were deermined

based on rends ideniied hrough a lieraure review and

modern anecdoal evidence. They included heavy-ruck

crashes, disorderly conduc arress, and gonorrhea and

chlamydia cases.

Pennsylvania was seleced because o is recen, rapid

adopion o racking and he higher rural populaion

densiy han oher saes where racking is occurring,which provided more-robus daa. Rural counies were

seleced o avoid background noise associaed wih oher

indusries and urban populaions and o more efecively

observe he racking-relaed changes over oher economic

and demographic changes.

Food & Waer Wach perormed wo basic rend analyses

ha compared he periods beore and aer racking was

commercialized. Firs, he sudy examined he average

annual number o cases or acciden raes beore and aer

racking (2000 o 2005 and 2005 o 2010). This divisionyields wo equal six-year periods ha overlap in a single

year ha represens he ransiion year (only eigh

wells were drilled in 2005). Second, he sudy compares

he average annual year-o-year rae o change beore

and aer racking (rom 2000/2001 o 2004/2005 and

2005/2006 o 2009/2010), which yields wo equal periods

wih ive annual change periods.

Measuremen o rackedness: The mos-rackedrural counies in Pennsylvania were deermined by

unconvenional well densiy, based on he 20052011

sum o unconvenional wells rom he PennsylvaniaDeparmen o Environmenal Proecions Ineracive

Repors, Wells Drilled By Couny beween 2005 and

2011, and he area (square miles) o each couny rom

he U.S. Census Bureaus Sae and Couny QickFacs

daabase. The rural Pennsylvania counies were divided

ino hree groups: unracked rural counies (12 counies)

wihou any racked wells, all racked counies wih any

racked wells (23 counies) and heavily racked counies

(eigh counies). The heavily racked counies had he

op-hird highes densiy o unconvenional wells, wih a

leas one well or every 15 square miles. For comparison

purposes, eigh counies had one well or every 15 o 75square miles, and seven counies had less han one well

or every 175 square miles. (There were no counies wih

well densiy beween one well per 76 square miles and

one well per 174 square miles.)

Commercial racking began in Pennsylvania in 2005,

immediaely beore a signiican economic recession.

Many negaive socioeconomic indicaors are associaed

wih weak economic condiions, rising unemploymen,

increased povery raes and oher concurren negaive

economic rends. The sudied pos-racking period(20052010) includes several years ha were impaced by

he economic downurn. Unracked rural counies were

included as a conrol group in an atemp o disinguish

he impacs o racking rom his background noise in

rural racked communiies.

Traic acciden daa: All heavy-ruck acciden daa arerom he Pennsylvania Deparmen o Transporaion

(PennDOT). Reporable crashes include hose wih inju-

ries, aaliies or owing a vehicle away rom he scene.

Heavy-ruck acciden daa are o vehicles wih a gross

vehicle weigh raing o more han 26,000 pounds. The

crash rae was he number o crashes per million vehicle

miles raveled, which conrols or he oal rafic volume.

Crime daa: All disorderly conduc arres daa arerom he Pennsylvania Sae Police reporing daabase,

Uniorm Crime Reporing Sysem. Arres numbers were

analyzed, bu he arres rae (per 1,000 people) yielded

similar resuls.

Public healh daa: All gonorrhea and chlamydiadaa are rom he Pennsylvania Deparmen o Healh

Saisics and Research sources. STI cases or incidences

were used, bu analyzing a populaion rae yields similar

resuls.


14/16


Endnotes1 American Petroleum Institute. Freeing Up Energy. Hydraulic Fractur-

ing: Unlocking Americas Natural Gas Resources. July 19, 2010 at 1, 2,

and 4; Saaid, Ismail Mohd et al. Characterization of Malaysia sand for

possible use as proppant.American International Journal of Contem-

porary Research, vol. 1, no. 1. July 2011 at 37; U.S. House of Represen-

WDWLYHV&RPPLWWHHRQ(QHUJ\DQG&RPPHUFH>0LQRULW\6WDUHSRUW@

Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. April 2011 at 2 and 8 to 9.

3HQQV\OYDQLD2FHRIWKH*RYHUQRU([HFXWLYH%XGJHW)DFWV

%RRPLQJ1DWXUDO*DVQGXVWU\6KRXOG3D\WV)DLU6KDUH)HEUX -

ary 2010; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.QWHUDFWLYH5HSRUWV:HOOV'ULOOHG%\&RXQW\WR

$YDLODEOHDWKWWSZZZSRUWDOVWDWHSDXVSRUWDOVHUYHUSWFRPPX-

QLW\RLOBDQGBJDVBUHSRUWV$FFHVVHG$XJXVW

*URXQGZDWHU3URWHFWLRQ&RXQFLODQG$//&RQVXOWLQJ0RGHUQ6KDOH

Gas Development in the United States: A Primer. Prepared for the

U.S. Department of Energy. April 2009 at 8 to 10, 13 and 16; Trembath,

$OH[et al%UHDNWKURXJKQVWLWXWH(QHUJ\&OLPDWH3URJUDP:KHUH

the Shale Gas Revolution Came From. Governments Role in the De-

YHORSPHQWRI+\GUDXOLF)UDFWXULQJLQ6KDOH0D\DWWR

%XUJHU0LFKDHO)UDFNLQJDQG)HGHUDOLVP&KRLFHUniversity of Penn-

sylvania Law ReviewYROLVVDWDQG

/XVWJDUWHQ$EUDKPHWDO+RZ%LJVWKH*DV'ULOOLQJ5HJXODWRU\6WD

in Your State? ProPublica)HEUXDU\$YDLODEOHDWKWWSSURM -

HFWVSURSXEOLFDRUJJDVGULOOLQJ

6 See Ratner, Michael and Mary Tiemann. Congressional Research

6HUYLFH$Q2YHUYLHZRI8QFRQYHQWLRQDO2LO1DWXUDO*DV5H -

VRXUFHVDQG)HGHUDO$FWLRQV5-XO\DWWR

and 20; Colborn, Theo et al. Natural gas operations from a public

health perspective. International Journal of Human and Ecological Risk

AssessmentYROLVV6HSWHPEHU2VERUQ6WHSKHQ*HWDO

0HWKDQHFRQWDPLQDWLRQRIGULQNLQJZDWHUDFFRPSDQ\LQJJDVZHOO

drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Proceedings of the National Academy

of Sciences, 2011.

7 See%DPEHUJHU0LFKHOOHDQG5REHUW(2VZDOGPSDFWRI*DV'ULOOLQJ

on Human and Animal Health. New Solutions, vol. 22, iss. 1. 2012;

2VERUQHWDO-DFNVRQ5REHUW%HWDO5HVHDUFKDQG3ROLF\5HF -

RPPHQGDWLRQVIRU+\GUDXOLF)UDFWXULQJDQG6KDOH*DV([WUDFWLRQ

Duke University, Center on Global Change. 2011 at 2 to 4.

8 Gruver, Mead. Wyoming is beset by a big-ci ty problem: Smog.Associated Press0DUFK5XPEDFK$QGUHZ>3UHSDUHGIRUWKH

6RXWKHUQ7LHU&HQWUDO5HJLRQDO3ODQQLQJDQG'HYHORSPHQW%RDUG

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trializations of Coal Resources. EDRA 2: Proceedings of the 2nd Annual

Environmental Design Research Association Conference, 2. 1974 at 123

and 141.

1LFKRODV/L]D-Becoming Western: Stories of Culture and Iden-

tity in the Cowboy State/LQFROQ8QLYHUVLW\RI1HEUDVND3UHVVDW

.RKUV(O'HDQ96RFLDO&RQVHTXHQFHVRI%RRP*URZWKLQ:\RPLQJ

Paper presented at the Rocky Mountain American Association of the

$GYDQFHPHQWRI6FLHQFH0HHWLQJ/DUDPLH:\RPLQJ$SULO

1974 at 3; Albrecht. 1976 at 11.

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28 Albrecht. 1976 at 11 and 14.

-DFTXHWDWDQG0DUFHOOXV6KDOH(GXFDWLRQ7UDLQLQJ

Center (MSETC). Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Workforce Needs

Assessment. MSETC Needs Assessment SeriesSummer 2011. June

2011 at 7 and 8; Clarke, 2012.

(OLJRQ-RKQ$Q2LO7RZQ:KHUH0HQ$UH0DQ\DQG:RPHQ$UH

Hounded. The New York Times-DQXDU\

31 Williamson, Jonathon et al. Marcel lus Natural Gas Development s

(HFWRQ+RXVLQJLQ3HQQV\OYDQLD/\FRPLQJ&ROOHJH&HQWHUIRUWKH

6WXG\RI&RPPXQLW\DQGWKH(FRQRP\2FWREHUDWDQG

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Tackling the

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)RRG:DWHU:DWFKDQDO\VLVEDVHGRQGDWDIURP86&HQVXV

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Department of Environmental Protection. Interactive Reports, Wells'ULOOHG%\&RXQW\

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