How Our Environmental Science Team Informs Our Mission

Yvonne utilizes a Sonde to approximate water quality based on a variety of factors.

One of Protect PT's foremost goals is to approach environmental stewardship with a culture of service. That means always rooting our work in understanding how polluters impact not just our environment, but also the people who live in it. Our Environmental Science team is one of our strongest resources for ensuring that our work stays grounded in the actual, local conditions that we live in – and does so by monitoring air and water quality in areas impacted by polluters.

When people think of pollutants released by fracking, they often picture the harmful air emissions released during gas extraction. This includes carcinogens such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. Or, they may think of the harmful compounds found in liquid waste – like salts, heavy metals, and radioactive materials that can be released during spill incidents. However, the reach of fracking contaminants goes beyond the boundaries of the well pad. Waste facilities in our area accept solid waste from fracking operations. When rainwater mixes with that waste it forms leachate, which is full of heavy metals and radioactive materials from the Marcellus Shale. This is yet another threat to local water sources.

Combined, it isn't just residents that live in proximity to a well pad that are vulnerable to pollutants – it's anyone downstream or downwind from a fracking site, a fracking transportation corridor, or a waste treatment facility that processes solid or liquid fracking waste.

Fracking can also exacerbate existing environmental risks. Soil-borne radon gas, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, is already at exceptionally high levels in Southwest PA homes and buildings. Several studies have found that these levels tend to go even higher when fracking moves into an area. Higher radon levels means a higher risk of getting sick.

No matter how oil and gas extraction is managed, it creates hazards to our health and environment. That's exactly why our Environmental Science team, led by Yvonne Sorovacu and assisted by Mina Kimak, conducts air, water, and radon monitoring throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mina analyzes water height near the Sedat 3A Injection Well

With our monitoring equipment and tools, Yvonne and Mina can detect the impacts of unconventional gas extraction on surrounding communities. Purple Air monitors show us if there is an unhealthy quantity of particulate matter in our air. Meanwhile, regular surface water monitoring near sites that handle liquid waste and leachate help us protect the quality of our creeks, rivers, streams, and reservoirs by looking for telltale signs of fracking waste. Finally, our radon testing options help community members find out if they are being exposed to dangerous levels of this radioactive gas.

Concerned residents are encouraged to learn more about our various environmental monitoring resources via our Monitoring page. For anyone interested in participating in our air, radon, or noise monitoring programs, local residents should visit our Air Monitoring, Radon Monitoring, or Noise Monitoring pages, respectively.

This Giving Tuesday, show your support for our Environmental Science team by making monthly donations to fund their efforts! Becoming a monthly sustainer at the $25 level will help us unlock a $500 matched donation!