Health Risks in US States 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 cause ozone smog.

This pollution harms the health of those that live near oil and gas wellpads and other sites, but also folks living hundreds or thousands of miles “downwind” because air pollution can readily travel those distances.

In these fact sheets, we examine the health impacts in nine states of air pollution from oil and gas sites, primarily using data from two CATF reports: Fossil Fumes, which examines the impacts of toxic air pollutants from oil and gas on nearby communities, and Gasping for Breath, which looks at the health problems from ozone smog generated by oil and gas air pollution.