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The Zoning Of Facking

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Babies born near hydraulic fracking sites are more likely to be underweight, according to one of the largest studies ever conducted into how the fossil fuel extraction technique actually affects our health.

The study, published Wednesday in Science Advances, found Pennsylvanian children born within 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) of a fracking site were 25 percent more likely to experience low birth weight. That risk decreases the farther away a child is born. Low birth weight, defined as being born under 5.5 pounds, has previously been linked with an increased risk of childhood mortality and poorer educational outcomes.

While the results could influence local policy surrounding the zoning of fracking sites, they fall short of pinpointing …show more content…

From 1 to 3 kilometers [1.8 miles], we find a smaller effect. And then after 3 kilometers, we were unable to detect an impact.”

The team also developed an index that measured health indicators, such as prematurity and congenital abnormalities, for infants in the study. Using these metrics (almost like a stock market), they noticed a small but statistically significant decline in the overall health of babies born closer to fracking sites.

What caused the low birth weights? It’s unclear.

“As the authors point out, that is the major limitation of study,” said Susan Nagel, a reproductive and perinatal research at the University of Missouri, who wasn’t involved in the study. “They are inferring exposure from proximity.”

Hydraulic fracturing pumps a cocktail of water and chemicals into the ground. The pressure fractures shale rock, which releases oil, natural gas and wastewater back to the surface. This wastewater is stored temporarily in storage containers, before typically being deposited back underground in sealed storage wells.

Surface-level spills of fracking fluids and wastewater are common, Nagel said, “and certainly the wastewater seems to be the issue when you’re talking about water impacts.” She cited past instances of spills into surface water, such as in Colorado and West Virginia.

But there is “absolutely air pollution related to fracking” too, said Nagel, whose lab published a systematic review of the connection between oil and natural gas

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