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Karen Elias
Lock Haven
In 1953, Big Tobacco faced a crisis. Presented with increasing evidence of smoking’s harm, the desperate industry launched a PR campaign that tried to deny the science. Their decades-long effort ended in a legal settlement that cost the industry billions in penalties for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking.
Fracking in Pennsylvania is facing a similar moment. An increasing number of studies point to the negative impacts of fracking on health. Thousands of published papers show multiple problems, including childhood cancers, premature death, respiratory issues, endocrine disruption, and birth-weight issues. The most recent Compendium, published by Physicians for Social Responsibility and Concerned Health Professionals of New York, shows that, since 2014, when New York banned fracking, 2,303 peer-reviewed papers have been published indicating clear evidence of harm; nearly 1000 of these studies were published after 2018. The Compendium concludes by saying there is "no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health directly or without imperiling climate stability upon which human health depends."
The recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh for the PA Department of Health (which Senator Gene Yaw mentions in his latest op ed) adds to this disturbing scientific evidence by establishing further connections between fracking and increased incidence of lymphoma in children, as well as exacerbations of asthma, and lower birth weights in populations living near oil and gas operations. Additional studies, including one conducted in 2022 by the Yale School of Public Health, found that Pennsylvania children with fracking wells within a mile of their homes are twice as likely to develop juvenile leukemia.
As evidence accumulates linking fracking to a variety of health harms, the industry is tapping its celebrity shills to call this evidence into question.
Senator Yaw is perfect for the job. Just recently he was given the Shale Gas Advocate Award by the Marcellus Gas Coalition for his "exceptional contributions in advocating for the development, transportation and use of Pennsylvania’s natural gas resources." A look at his top twenty 2022 corporate campaign contributors reveals that the majority are from the oil and gas industry.
Who is Senator Yaw representing? His constituency? Or the gas industry.
I think the answer is clear.