Written evidence submitted by Dr Francis Paul Rugman
I write as a concerned local resident of Wrea Green, a village 1.6 miles from the proposed fracking site at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Fylde, Lancashire.
1. England is now the most densely populated major country in Europe. Population growth is so rapid that four times as many people will soon be crammed in as France and twice as many as Germany, although neither country permits fracking. Unlike the vast open tracts of land in the USA, the Fylde in particular, is extremely densely populated at 460 persons / Km2 which is higher than the average for England at 407 persons / Km2.
2. The prevailing coastal winds on the Fylde blow from the South-West. Weeton village Primary School is just one mile North-East, directly down-wind from the proposed Preston New Road, Little Plumpton fracking site. There are also numerous close habitations adjacent to the fracking site and the village of Great Plumpton is only 0.6 miles away. At 1.6 miles away there is another Primary School and the large village of Wrea Green. Also about 1.3 miles away there is a large new-build densely populated housing estate at Whitehills. There is also at Little Marton, about 1.5 miles from the fracking site, a new-build large Psychiatric Hospital including residential facilities for 154 in-patients.
3. A study published this month by Macey et al, has found high air concentrations of potentially dangerous chemicals near on-shore fracking sites in the USA. In particular, there were significant concentrations of four toxic chemicals: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Hexane, and putrid Hydrogen Sulphide. Benzene was detected at sample locations in Pennsylvania and Wyoming. Concentrations exceeded health-based risk levels by as many as several orders of magnitude. Previous studies similarly have also found Benzene concentrations near fracking sites. Monitors detected benzene at higher concentrations (5.7 – 110,000 μg/m3) than those found in the published literature. The results are of concern given their proximity to subdivisions, homes, and farms. In Wyoming, multiple samples with high benzene concentrations were taken on residential property 30–350 yards from the nearest fracking site, or on farmland along the perimeter of a well pad. The results suggest that existing regulatory setback distances from wells to residences are inadequate to reduce human health risks. High air concentrations of Benzene were found up to 885 feet from well-heads.
4. Benzene is a major human carcinogen and is absorbed by inhalation or through the skin. There is no ‘safe’ air concentration. Chronic exposure to benzene causes acute myeloid leukaemia and is strongly associated with malignant lymphoma. The increased risk occurs at low levels of exposure with no evidence of threshold level. Benzene exposure increases risk of birth defects including neural tube defects and has been associated with congenital heart defects found near fracking sites. Respiratory effects include pulmonary oedema, acute granular tracheitis, laryngitis, and bronchitis.
5. Fracking sites present multiple sources and exposure routes for benzene. Benzene occurs naturally in shale and other hydrocarbon deposits, and is vented, flared, or released as fugitive emissions along numerous points of production, such as wells, production tanks, compressors, and pipelines It can volatize and disperse from flow-back and produced water at drilling sites and remain in the air for several days. Benzene was among the first pollutants found in air samples near shale gas operations. In a recent preliminary study by the eminent CDC, alarmingly high benzene metabolite concentrations have been found in the urine of workers at a fracking site.
6. A preliminary USA study has suggested that Benzene is the largest contributor to excess lifetime cancer risk within a half mile from fracking sites. Residents exposed to Volatile Organic Compounds, including Benzene experience immediate health symptoms and illness. For example, within days after a flaring event at a BP Texas City refinery, growing children who may be particularly susceptible to inhalation of Benzene, exhibited altered blood cell profiles, disturbed liver enzymes, and clinical symptoms.
7. Dirty Diesel exhaust emissions from the thousands of super-tanker truck journeys required to carry the huge volumes of water and chemicals to and fro from each fracking site, as well as from on-site diesel compressor stations and other fossil fuel-fired machinery, all contribute to air pollution.
8. Diesel Exhaust emissions include toxic black carbon, micro-particles (PM 2.5) and NO2 which penetrate deep into the lungs, directly into the blood stream and cause arterial diseases, heart attacks, strokes and cancers. The WHO has stated that Toxic Diesel exhaust fumes are now recognised as a major public health issue and a cause of lung cancer.
9. In the USA, data on the serious adverse health impacts of the total industrial process of fracking, including cancers and congenital birth defects, has and will continue to accumulate over the next few years. These serious and increasing concerns have been stated by hundreds of health professionals in letters on 20 February 2014 to President Obama and on 29 May 2014 to Governor Cuomo of New York State. Unfortunately in the USA, patients and doctors have been legally gagged by the fracking industry which is increasingly fearful of adverse publicity.
10. In December 2014 New York State banned fracking because of the known dangers to public health. Previously a supporter of shale gas, NY State Governor Andre Cuomo announced that the dangers of shale gas and oil extraction to public health are too many to ignore and the state will no longer allow fracking to be carried out.
11. The Public Health England Report cites some preliminary short term studies of adverse health impacts of fracking in the USA, but does not address the probable cumulative long-term impact of air emissions such as Benzene on the lifetime cancer risks. Another major unknown is how low level, but long-term, exposure from multiple chemicals might affect peoples’ health. In the light of these potential harms, the fracking industry should be prevented from expanding until these risks are better understood.
12. Whilst awaiting the results of further epidemiological/ population studies from the USA, there must now be an immediate 5 year moratorium on permitting any on-shore fracking in England, the most densely populated major country in Europe. The residents of the Fylde deserve better than to be designated an American style ‘Fracking Sacrifice Zone.’ only to become the innocent victims of this toxic industrial experiment.
31 December 2014
References:
1. Bamberger M, Oswald RE. 2012. Impacts of Gas Drilling on Human and Animal Health. NEW
SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy 22:51–77;
doi:10.2190/NS.22.1.e.
2. Colborn T, Kwiatkowski C, Schultz K, Bachran M. 2011. Natural Gas Operations from a Public
Health Perspective. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 17:1039–
1056; doi:10.1080/10807039.2011.605662.
3. Colborn T, Schultz K, Herrick L, Kwiatkowski C. 2014. An Exploratory Study of Air Quality
near Natural Gas Operations. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal
0:null; doi:10.1080/10807039.2012.749447.
4. Esswein EJ, Breitenstein M, Snawder J, Kiefer M, Sieber WK. 2013. Occupational exposures to
respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing. J Occup Environ Hyg 10:347–356;
doi:10.1080/15459624.2013.788352.
5. Esswein EJ, Snawder J, King B, Breitenstein M, Alexander-Scott M, Kiefer M. 2014. Evaluation
of Some Potential Chemical Exposure Risks During Flowback Operations in Unconventional Oil
and Gas Extraction: Preliminary Results. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
11:D174–D184; doi:10.1080/15459624.2014.933960.
6. Ferrar KJ, Kriesky J, Christen CL, Marshall LP, Malone SL, Sharma RK, et al. 2013. Assessment
and longitudinal analysis of health impacts and stressors perceived to result from unconventional
shale gas development in the Marcellus Shale region. International Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Health 19:104–112; doi:10.1179/2049396713Y.0000000024.
7. Kassotis CD, Tillitt DE, Davis JW, Hormann AM, Nagel SC. 2013. Estrogen and Androgen
Receptor Activities of Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Surface and Ground Water in a
Drilling-Dense Region. Endocrinology 155:897–907; doi:10.1210/en.2013-1697.
8. Macey GP, Breech R, Chernaik M, Cox C, Larson D, Thomas D, et al. 2014. Air concentrations
of volatile compounds near oil and gas production: a community-based exploratory study.
Environmental Health 13:82; doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-82.
9. McKenzie LM, Guo R, Witter RZ, Savitz DA, Newman LS, Adgate JL. 2014. Birth Outcomes
and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural Colorado.
Environmental Health Perspectives 122; doi:10.1289/ehp.1306722.
10. McKenzie LM, Witter RZ, Newman LS, Adgate JL. 2012. Human health risk assessment of air
emissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources. Sci. Total Environ.
424:79–87; doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.02.018.
11. Rabinowitz PM, Slizovskiy IB, Lamers V, Trufan SJ, Holford TR, Dziura JD, et al. 2014.
Proximity to Natural Gas Wells and Reported Health Status: Results of a Household Survey in
Washington County, Pennsylvania. Environmental Health Perspectives;
doi:10.1289/ehp.1307732.
12. Saberi P, Propert KJ, Powers M, Emmett E, Green-McKenzie J. 2014. Field Survey of Health
Perception and Complaints of Pennsylvania Residents in the Marcellus Shale Region. Int J
Environ Res Public Health 11:6517–6527; doi:10.3390/ijerph110606517.
13. Steinzor N, Subra W, Sumi L. 2013. Investigating Links between Shale Gas Development and
Health Impacts Through a Community Survey Project in Pennsylvania. NEW SOLUTIONS: A
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy 23:55–83; doi:10.2190/NS.23.1.e.