Clean Air Council Releases Pennsylvania Shale Gas Infrastructure Map and Pollution Reporting Tool
The Clean Air Council’s new shale gas infrastructure map will make it easy for residents who live near shale gas infrastructure in Pennsylvania to view nearby facilities as well as report pollution problems directly to state and federal environmental agencies. The map is now available online at: http://tinyurl.com/gasmapPA
“In Pennsylvania, we have had a persistent problem with state agencies not following up on complaints by residents who live near shale gas facilities,” said Matt Walker, Outreach Director of the Clean Air Council, “This new mapping tool creates an accurate record of facilities and pollution complaints in Pennsylvania and will establish a new level of public accountability for how the Department of Environmental Protection responds to and resolves complaints about pollution from gas infrastructure,” Walker said.
Using the Clean Air Council’s map, members of the public can see compressor stations, dehydration stations, gas processing plants, natural gas liquid pumping stations, power plants, and pipelines in the state. They can also report pollution issues from nearby facilities directly to regulatory agencies—including the Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry—by filling out some basic information about the problem they are experiencing.
“As far as we know, this is the most accurate set of data on compressor stations and other gas infrastructure in the state of Pennsylvania,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director of the Clean Air Council, “We hope that this map will set a new standard for accuracy of infrastructure locations.”
With the shale gas infrastructure map, residents can see an aerial photo of facilities by switching to satellite imaging, review basic information about a facility, and report problems all from the same page. There is a crowd-sourcing function, where people can make comments, and notify the Council of missing data or infrastructure. Users can also upload photos, video, and audio files of a facility in order to document more detailed information about the impacts to the local environment and quality of life due to the facility.
“This is a new tool for documenting environmental and health problems due to shale gas infrastructure in Pennsylvania,” said Minott, “Our goal is for residents to be heard directly by the state agencies that have until this point often ignored the voices of impacted people.”
Residents who live near shale gas infrastructure and are experiencing air and water pollution are encouraged to use the tool at http://tinyurl.com/gasmapPA. Users must choose a username and enter an email address in order to access the map.
This map is not designed as a replacement for emergency services. In the case of an emergency such as an explosion or fire at a facility, residents should use emergency hotlines provided by the DEP at: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/
The Council is a non-profit, membership organization based in Philadelphia, PA that works throughout Pennsylvania with communities that have proposed shale gas infrastructure projects to ensure that residents are informed about their rights as well as the environmental impacts of shale gas infrastructure. The Council has fought for more than 40 years to improve air quality across Pennsylvania, and has more than 8,000 members throughout the Commonwealth. It works towards its mission by engaging in outreach work, advocacy and litigation.