The December 17th Department of Energy report shows that increasing liquified natural gas
(LNG) exports inarguably goes against the public interest. Further expansion would offer little
benefit and great potential for harm to the environment, public health, and to the pockets of
domestic utility customers.
Perhaps the most damning finding of the study is that pouring resources into increasing exports
will most likely result in higher energy prices here at home. Residents of Northeastern PA,
would be expected to pay extra for the privilege of having their neighborhoods - such as
Dickson City - turned into LNG storage parks.
We understand the appeal of the potential jobs that expansion might bring, but as we’ve seen
time and time again, those numbers always seem to fall short of developers’ promises. The
desire for economic growth must be balanced with the need to protect the health of our
residents, especially children and the elderly who are the most vulnerable to air, water and soil
pollution.
In her response to the study, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said, “pollutants such
as methane, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and others lead to
higher mortality rates in communities where oil and gas are extracted and processed.” We’ve
seen this already in Pennsylvania where trends in serious health problems closely follow the
distribution of extraction sites. And as Granholm notes, the burden of this pollution is most often
borne by lower-income, rural, and black and brown communities.
While industry often lacks transparency about their processes and chemical formulations the 9th
Edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and
Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure share some 2,000 abstracts of
and links to medical, scientific and investigative reports about the consequences of oil and gas
drilling, fracking, and infrastructure. Also, a University of Pittsburgh and Department of Health
study in 2023 shared that residents living near shale gas development experience a range of
health impacts.
● Children who lived within 1 mile of one or more wells had approximately 5 to 7 times the
chance of developing lymphoma compared to children who lived in an area without
wells within 5 miles.
● Pregnant mothers living near fracking sites have a higher risk of delivering babies who
are small for gestational age (SGA) and have lower than average birth weights (LBW).
● A strong link was found between the production phase of unconventional natural gas
development and severe exacerbations, emergency department visits and
hospitalizations for asthma in people living within 10 miles of one or more wells
producing natural gas.
Pennsylvania, once a pioneer in renewable energy, has lagged behind the rest of the country,
with almost no growth over the past decade. Renewable energy jobs are one of the fastest
growing employment sectors in the U.S., and by focusing on fossil-fuel expansion we’re missing
the opportunity to future-proof our workforce. Natural gas jobs have an expiration date, which
based on global trends towards renewable energy may be closer than we realize.
While natural gas is often touted as being more environmentally friendly than other fossil fuels, it
still produces emissions. And when processed into LNG it can be up to 33% worse than coal in
terms of greenhouse gas. This is largely due to the additional energy used to process and
compress it into a liquid, the extensive transportation networks used to carry it to far-off
locations, as well as the increased incidence of leaks and other unintended pollution from the
extended infrastructure required for that conversion and transport.
Approximately 75% of the natural gas extracted in Pennsylvania is shipped elsewhere.
Residents here pay the price, watching our farmland turn into toxic sites, while others benefit
from our resources. While demand for LNG is currently strong, the study estimates that the
existing infrastructure we have is more than enough for future demand. Most of the potential
export markets, particularly foreign buyers, are making the transition away from natural gas to
renewables, with Europe, Japan and South Korea all having either passed or quickly nearing
their peak demand.
Soon the only serious market for exported LNG may be China, which is rapidly developing its
own renewable energy infrastructure. There is no pressing reason to allow our precious natural
and agricultural spaces to be reduced to industrial wasteland for the sake of an export market
that may not exist in a few years.
Why are we harming the health of Pennsylvanians to benefit the pockets of corporations?
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