Skip to main content

Fumes Across the Fence-Line: The Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Oil & Gas Facilities on African American Communities

November 23, 2017 Category: Climate Work Area: Methane
Fumes Across the Fence-Line Cover

The oil and gas industry dumps 9 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants like benzene into our air each year.

Methane is a greenhouse gas 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide at driving climate change and the oil and gas industry is now the largest source of methane pollution in the U.S. But methane is just one harmful air pollutant from the oil and gas industry. This paper sheds light on the health impacts of air pollutants from oil and gas facilities that specifically threaten the health of African American communities living near oil and gas facilities and in areas far from oil and gas production.