Health Risks in North Dakota from Oil and Gas Air Pollution

This mix of pollutants includes methane, a very potent climate pollutant and enormous amounts of toxic air pollutants and pollutants that lead to harmful ground level ozone smog pollution. Toxic air pollutants cause cancer and other diseases, while ozone smog can cause a variety of health problems, such as asthma attacks and worsening the effects of bronchitis and emphysema.

With equipment to produce over 12% of the nation’s oil located in the State, North Dakotans bear much of the health risks caused by oil and natural gas industry air pollution.