Pennsylvania county advances fracking air quality rules
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The Allegheny County Board of Health in Pennsylvania unanimously voted to advance recommendations that will require oil and gas companies to follow air quality regulations.
For over 20 years, fracking operations in the region had been proceeding without standard air quality permits or monitoring due to a loophole in Article 21 of local regulations. The Board’s decision directs county staff to develop a plan to amend Article 21 and present it to the Allegheny County Council for a vote.
This move aims to bring thousands of fracking operations under standard air quality permitting and monitoring requirements. Allegheny County has consistently experienced poor air quality. The American Lung Association recently ranked the county among the 20 most polluted in the United States, citing high levels of particulate matter linked to severe health problems.
Food & Water Watch celebrated the Board's decision as a step toward prioritizing public health over industry interests and addressing the harms caused by fracking in western Pennsylvania.
