by Jessica Helm
Nine volunteers from the Atlantic Chapter and New York Water Sentinels recently traveled to Pennsylvania to learn how to capture air.
There, they were given special canisters to be placed at potential future fracking locations across the Southern Tier of New York. Other volunteers at the training would learn to sample at active fracking sites and compressor stations across Pennsylvania. This training was part of a larger effort to identify air pollution from fracking, led by Global Community Monitor through its Bucket Brigade program.
Global Community Monitor published its first study, “Gassed! Citizen Investigation of Toxic Air Pollution from Natural Gas Development,” in 2011. Since then it has been inundated with requests for more air testing from people living near fracking and fracking associated operations around the country.
Residents typically do not have the resources to identify the chemicals causing their symptoms or to trace those chemicals to nearby fracking or natural gas infrastructure. “Gassed” has been one of the few publications with information on what might be in the air.
The new study looks at five states with active drilling (Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming), with New York used for baseline data. Ten to 15 samples are gathered in each state from likely points of emission in the fracking and transmission process—drilling, venting and flaring, production, compression, etc.
In New York, five baseline sites were selected, based on the probability of heavy future fracking activity. This probability was estimated based on shale thickness and depth, degree of local leasing and permitting, absence of a local ban, and absence of significant local oil or gas activity. If horizontal fracking begins in New York, the same sites would be resampled and compared with their baseline values.
An EPA-certified laboratory analyzes the air samples for more than 70 volatile organic compounds and more than 20 sulfur compounds. In addition the air sampling, a badge was used to measure formaldehyde near compressor stations, and volunteers used a reporting protocol to record odor events in active fracking regions across the country.
The results will be compiled into two reports. One report will contain a series of community sketches, outlining the results and challenges facing communities participating in the study. The same results will also be combined, subjected to statistical analysis, and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Both reports have a target publication date of early 2014.
Global Community Monitor is joined by staff support from the Center for Environmental Health. Atlantic Chapter staff and NY Water Sentinels leaders contributed their time to make the New York portion of the study happen.
Jessica Helm, a member of the Long Island Group,is a member of the Club’s national Board of Directors and vice president for volunteer leadership.She is co-leader of the NY Water Sentinels, recently graduated with a PhD in neuroscience from Stony Brook University.