Another study adds to the growing data indicating a link between autism and mercury, diesel particulates, and lead. The latest study comes from Harvard University's School of Public Health. It finds that children exposed to high levels of air pollutants are twice to have autism than those living in low pollution areas.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-18/autism-tied-to-air-pollution-brain-wiring-disconnection.html.
Unless modern pollution controls are used, burning coal releases large amounts of mercury and soot as well as other toxic metals like arsenic and lead. Burning oil or diesel without top pollution controls also releases a variety of air pollutants, including soot or particles.
Unlike coal or oil, natural gas releases no toxic metals into the air and virtually no soot. This is a substantial public health and environmental advantage of gas over both coal and oil. And the displacement of coal and oil/diesel by natural gas is helping to lower the amounts of mercury and diesel particulates in most but not all communities.
Though gas itself is clean burning and does not emit the pollutants that are increasingly linked to autism and to other illnesses and causes of premature death, the production of gas often involves burning large amounts of diesel. The result can be significant new sources of diesel particulates in communities that previously had little.
Most gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing rigs run on diesel. Most trucking involved in the industry runs on diesel. Most compressor stations run on diesel. But they need not.
Natural gas or electricity can be used to power drilling rigs, hydraulic fracturing pumps, trucks, and drilling stations. The gas industry should dump diesel and switch to gas or electricity in all parts of the production process. If diesel is still used, regulations must require the use of modern pollution controls that can slash by as much as 90% emissions from compressor stations and drilling rigs.
Compressor stations could and should be using technology that greatly reduces emissions. Without regulations to require this we are at their mercy to be "good neighbors". I will not elaborate on that. They smile and say we do what the law requires..With the prospect of 27 to 50 more compressors here in my county, 7 of which will be very close, I am desperate to see elected officials give a darn about their citizens. As you stated, mix in the endless dump trucks and "residual" waste tankers and concrete trucks and we have a serious problem. We would like to see air quality monitored here-NOT THE MOBILE UNIT that parked itself next to non active site. You would think that everyone could get behind clean air. How will they deny it or call it "naturally occurring"? Guess we will just have to wait and see because I see nothing being done. I am just so very thankful that I am not raising children in the gasfield or sending them to a school that will be surrounded by compressor stations. I am still wondering how the children in the Dallas,PA school district are worth more than the children of Susquehanna County.
ReplyDeleteBTW my garden will not get tended today because I cannot stand to be outside in the fumes that are wafting off the well site that has had a repair rig on it for 4 months!! The air smells like Port Authority and this is rural PA! Cannot imagine the wealthy neighborhoods having to put up with this. So add "repair rig" to the list of pollutants..I imagine there will be quite a few of them.
ReplyDeleteThe air smells like Port Authority and this is rural PA! Cannot imagine the wealthy neighborhoods having to put up with this. So add "repair rig" to the list of pollutants..I imagine there will be quite a few of them. injector test bench
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