Pollution Reporting Tool Released for Concerned Residents

A new online tool released by the state’s nonprofit Clean Air Council will give local residents another way to contend with pollution in the future.

The new shale gas infrastructure map will make it easy for residents who live near shale gas infrastructure in Pennsylvania - including the dozen spots in Armstrong County -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,” Outreach Director Matt Walker said. “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.”

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,” Clean Air Council Executive Director Esq. Joseph Otis Minott said. “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,”Minott said. “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. 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 Department of Environmental Protection - which in Armstrong County would be by calling 412-442-4000

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.