The Oil & Gas Threat Map shows that oil and gas air pollution isn't someone else's problem, it's everyone's problem.
Until very recently there were no limits on oil and gas methane pollution. So it's no surprise that the oil and gas industry is the United States' largest methane polluter.
What might be a surprise: along with methane, oil and gas extraction often releases other air pollution that can harm health, like benzene – a known carcinogen.
The Map was created to make aware the public and decisionmakers that this type of air pollution is a ubiquitous health threat that should be addressed with strong government standards. And that eliminating existing methane standards comes at the expense of the health and air that governments are obliged to protect.
On individual state maps, it plots the location of all active oil & gas wells in the United States (except North Carolina and Idaho), then counts the people, schools, and hospitals that live within ½ mile of these facilities.
On national, state-by-state, and county-by-county levels it indicates the contribution of oil and gas air pollution to elevated ozone smog levels, and consequent asthma and other respiratory impacts.
Using EPA data & models, it shows which counties have health risks because of oil & gas toxic air pollution.
Within each individual state, allows you to search for your home or school to find out if you're at elevated risk for exposure to this pollution.
Showing infrared videos of normally invisible pollution from oil and gas operations.
Showing interviews with people impacted by this pollution.
FracTracker Alliance, which studies, maps, and communicates the risks of oil and gas development to protect our planet and support the renewable energy transformation.
Earthworks, Clean Air Task Force, and FracTracker Alliance did the research and provided data that FracTracker Alliance used to build the Oil & Gas Threat Map.