Apr 28, 2021 2 min read

On April 21, the American Lung Association released its 2021 State of the Air (SOTA) report. The report shows Southwestern Pennsylvania counties such as Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland receiving high grades for air quality.

For residents of local counties, this may sound like good news. However, these air quality grades may inadvertently obscure troubling health risks that we know exist. People living in proximity to the web of shale gas wells, compressor stations, pipelines, and processing plants are exposed to air emissions not captured by the existing monitoring network – air emissions that could raise the likelihood these residents will suffer negative health impacts.

In Washington County, for example, the three monitors the SOTA report relied on for data were located in places that would not have recorded localized emissions breathed by many residents living near industrial sources of pollution. In Westmoreland County, only one monitor – near Greensburg – provided data. Greene County also had just one monitor, placed in a rural location.

Additionally, the SOTA report uses particle pollution data that is reported as a 24-hour average. Values averaged over time lose detail and do not reveal peaks in emissions – some as short as 15 minutes. These intermittent peaks can affect the health of residents, especially those most vulnerable, such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions, but are not apparent in long-term averages.

While the SOTA report offers a broad panorama of air quality countywide, residents living close to polluting industries should be aware that their risk of breathing harmful emissions may be much higher than the report indicates.

Alison L. Steele

Executive Director, SWPA Environmental Health Project