Assessing the Risk of Fracking on Communities

Switzer Fellows Evan Hansen, President of Downstream Strategies in Morgantown, WV, and Dr. Lara Cushing, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University, will work with SkyTruth to analyze the increased footprint of fracking on the West Virginia landscape, documenting chemical risks and exposures to at-risk communities and sites.  The growth of fracking in the Marcellus Shale region in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia has resulted in widespread cases of groundwater contamination, severe land degradation, and health impacts to local communities.  These harms have elevated community awareness and concern about the practice, and accelerated concerns about inadequate regulations.  This project aims to quantify the threats of the increased fracking footprint and share results with policy makers, advocates, and affected communities.