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TOXIC CHEMICALS FRACKING DECADE NEW FILES SKIN
Studies of fracking communities throughout the country have found that living near fracking wells increases the risk of premature births, high-risk pregnancies, asthma, migraines, fatigue, nasal and sinus symptoms, skin disorders and heart failure and laboratory studies have linked chemicals used in fracking fluid to endocrine disruption-which can cause hormone imbalance, reproductive harm, early puberty, brain and behavior problems, improper immune function, and cancer. In Pennsylvania, researchers found that people living near fracking face increased rates of infant mortality, depression, and hospitalizations for skin and urinary issues. In Colorado, the state Department of Health found that people living near fracking sites face elevated risk of nosebleeds, headaches, breathing trouble, and dizziness. In Texas, researchers found that babies born near frequent flaring-the burning off of excess natural gas from fracking wells-are 50 percent more likely to be premature. But in that same time period, concerns about the health effects of fracking have escalated. energy industry-total crude oil production more than doubled from 2010 to 2020, and natural gas, once in short supply, is now so over-abundant it’s exported overseas. Over the last decade, fracking has transformed the U.S. They’re also commonly detected in air emissions from fracking wells.įracking, another name for hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting oil and gas from the Earth by drilling deep wells and injecting liquid at high pressure. These chemicals are found in things like gasoline, pesticides, industrial solvents and glues, varnishes, paints, car exhaust, industrial emissions, and tobacco smoke. But unbeknownst to him and his family, Gunnar had a number of harmful chemicals coursing through his body.Ī urine sample taken from Gunnar that day contained 11 harmful industrial chemicals, including benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and lesser-known chemicals linked to a range of health effects including respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, skin and eye irritation, organ damage, reproductive harm, and increased cancer risk. Scenery Hill is in Washington County, the most heavily fracked county in Pennsylvania, with about 1,584 wells in its 861 square miles, so the idyllic country roads are also flanked with signs directing oil and gas well traffic: “No well traffic beyond this point,” “Staging area ->,” “Truck traffic: No engine breaks,” and ads that read, “We buy mineral rights!”Īugust 19, 2019, was a typical day for Gunnar-he played drums, took the dog outside, and argued and joked with his siblings. The roadsides are punctuated by little white churches, farm stands, and dirt driveways marked with hand-painted signs like “The Jones’s” and “Hidden Family Farm.” The hills are peppered with farmhouses, fruit orchards, and fields of corn and squash. Gunnar lives with his mom, dad, older brothers and younger sister about 35 miles south of Pittsburgh in the aptly-named community of Scenery Hill, where narrow country roads wind through shady woods that open up onto hilltop vistas of rolling fields.
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He’s the household entertainer, constantly cracking jokes and falling into contagious giggling fits. Gunnar is tan and blond with bright blue eyes and all the charisma required to survive being the younger of two middle children in a big family.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa.-In the summer of 2019, 13-year-old Gunnar Bjornson spent most days banging on his drums, playing video games, antagonizing his siblings, wandering outdoors, and scrounging for junk food in his home’s mostly healthy kitchen. How many more families like these are there out there? This is part 1 of our 4-part series, “ Fractured,” an investigation of fracking chemicals in the air, water, and people of western Pennsylvania. We tested families in fracking country for harmful chemicals and revealed unexplained exposures, sick children, and a family’s “dream life” upendedīy Kristina Marusic, Environmental Health News, March 1, 2021