Letter: ‘Economic boon’? Let’s be clear on what fracking brings to Pa.

The Erie Times-News’ recently published an article titled: “What is fracking, and what Trump’s win means for it in Pennsylvania,” which overestimated the economic importance of fracking and underestimated the harms that fracking causes to human health and the environment. Fracking has not been an “economic boon” for the state, despite claims by fracking proponents that job creation is a significant benefit of the industry. The biggest gas-producing counties in Pennsylvania lost both population and jobs between 2008 to 2019. As of March 2024, only 16,831 jobs were directly related to fracking, which accounts for less than one half of 1% of the state’s workforce. Additionally, fracking introduces negative costs to residents.
Fracking has been scientifically linked to serious human health effects including asthma, heart problems, neurological issues, birth defects, cancer, and mental health symptoms. According to a Carnegie Mellon University study, between 2004 and 2016, poor air quality due to shale gas activities in the Appalachian basin contributed to 1,200 to 4,600 premature deaths, with health costs exceeding $23 billion. Beyond air pollution, another source of toxicity comes from the millions of gallons of fracking fluid used at each well, which contains radioactivity and chemicals that are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and environmental toxins.
The environmental impacts of fracking go beyond local pollution. Shale gas operations also emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is directly driving climate change. It is important that Pennsylvanians are informed about the documented risks that fracking poses to their health and the environment.
Katie Jones, Ohio River Valley coordinator, FracTracker Alliance, Johnstown