A new article on the topic of the health concerns surrounding natural gas production has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in Environmental Health Perspectives, a monthly journal published by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The authors of the article found that, despite recognition of the environmental public health concerns related to drilling in the Marcellus Shale, neither state nor national advisory committees selected to respond to these concerns contained recognizable environmental public health expertise. They also found that 62.7% of individuals who testified at a public hearing held by the Department of Energy's Natural Gas Subcommittee and were not in favor of drilling mentioned health concerns.
The public is increasingly concerned about the human and animal health risks from nearby oil and gas production operations. We need to focus a lot more science and research on understanding these risks and how best to prevent them.