Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, individuals from around Pennsylvania who had fracking-related health complaints ignored by the state’s Department of Health (DOH) shared their stories and called on Attorney General Kathleen Kane to launch an investigation into the apparent disregard for their complaints.
The call on Kane follows a series of reports that DOH had several procedures in place designed to neglect health complaints related to hydraulic fracturing, including circulating a list of “buzzwords” relating to either fracking or health impacts frequently seen near areas with fracking-related infrastructure. In the midst of the conference call, advocates received a request from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes unit to interview the impacted individuals.
“In 2008 my family and I began getting sick after a compressor station was built 780 feet from our home,” said Pam Judy, a resident of Greene County. “The first place I contacted seeking information and assistance was the DOH. I was advised that they had received no similar complaints and they were unable to direct me to anyone who may be able to help us. After doing some research on my own I located a gentleman in Texas who had experienced a similar situation and he provided me with a list of the blood tests we needed to have done to determine exposure as well and a wealth of additional information. I should have been able to receive the same valuable information from the DOH.”