Watch this discussion of PSR’s new report: Fracking with “Forever Chemicals” in Pennsylvania. The report details the dangers of PFAS (“Forever Chemicals”) pollution in Oil & Gas production in Pennsylvania.

During the event, Dusty Horwitt, the report’s author, shared his findings about the use of PFAS in oil & gas operations and discussed the impacts on frontline communities. He also talked about efforts in other states to protect communities from PFAS from fracking. After Dusty’s presentation, FracTracker’s Matt Kelso went over interactive maps that detail where PFAS contamination is happening in Pennsylvania. ProtectPT’s Gillian Graber detailed the risks to drinking water sources in Pennsylvania and showed us how close wells using PFAS can be to these sources. Then Jackson Zeiler from the Environmental Health Project went deeper into how PFAS harms human health and Tammy Murphy shared a powerful call to action to keep PFAS out of Pennsylvania.
New PFAS Online Course from Halt the Harm

At the end of the event, Gillian announced Halt the Harm’s new PFAS Campaign Accelerator Online Course!

The course gives you the knowledge you need to campaign effectively to protect communities from PFAS pollution created by the oil & gas industry. It provides the necessary issue background, along with workbooks to help you develop tactics and strategies to win your campaign. It’s based on a live cohort Halt the Harm developed with topic experts and veteran campaigners.

Join the PFAS Campaign Accelerator Online Course now: https://halttheharm.net/pfas-campaign-accelerator/ → Sign to the Network to Watch

Speakers

• Dusty Horwitt, PSR
• Matt Kelso, FracTracker Alliance
• Gillian Graber, ProtectPT
• Jackson Zeiler, Environmental Health Project
• Tammy Murphy, PSR PA

This event was hosted by ProtectPT, PSR (Physicians for Social Responsibility), FracTracker Alliance, Environmental Health Project, and Halt the Harm Network.

✅ Here is the PSR Report on PFAS in Fracking in PA: https://psr.org/resources/fracking-with-forever-chemicals-in-pennsylvania/

⚡️ Here is the Call to Action that Tammy Murphy shared to keep PFAS out of PA: http://protectpt.info/pfas

What is the report on?

Based on publicly available oil and gas industry disclosures, PSR’s report details the risk of PFAS pollution from Pennsylvania’s oil and gas wells including risks from the disposal of millions of tons of liquid and solid waste associated with the wells.

What are PFAS?

PFAS are a highly dangerous class of human-made chemicals known for their extreme toxicity, severe health effects, including cancer, and resistance to breaking down in the environment, leading to their nickname, “forever chemicals.” Private water wells in rural areas where most drilling and fracking are conducted may be at particularly high risk of contamination. Once contaminated, groundwater is particularly difficult to clean up. However, communities where oil and gas waste is taken for disposal that are located miles from drilling sites could also face risks from PFAS contamination.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has indicated that for some types of PFAS, no amount in drinking water is safe.