New research from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) found there’s absolutely no support for environmentalist’s claims that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, produces radiation that poses a health risk.
The CMU study concluded even in the worst case scenario, fracking produces levels of radon far below those dubbed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When examining green claims that fracking could potentially cause cancer, the study found that they “provided insufficient documentation of the methodology used.”
CMU researchers found that that green estimates of cancer risk are “speculative” at best, rely on non-peer reviewed conclusions, and massively overestimate the amount of radon exposure from fracking. They also concluded that the difference between radon levels in the average American home compared to a home near fracking is “insignificant.”
“This is just another example of anti-fracking alarmist misinformation that they use to grab headlines but in reality their claims are not supported by scientific facts,” Jackie Stewart, the Ohio director of the pro-industry group Energy In Depth, told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
CMU researchers’ conclusions align with data from several government agencies. The federal U.S. Geological Survey concluded that environmentalist claiming that fracking could cause cancer “relied on theoretical calculations utilizing limited data from geologic analogs.”
Research by state governments has reached a similar conclusion. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation found that radon levels from fracking were “essentially equal to background values” and “do not indicate an exposure concern for workers or the general public.”
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection reached a similar conclusion and stated that “there is little potential for additional radon exposure to the public due to the use of natural gas extracted from geologic formations located in Pennsylvania.”
Saying that fracking can cause cancer through radon isn’t the first off the wall green claim. Despite the scientific consensus, environmental groups have tried to blame fracking for just about everything including: droughts, drinking water contamination, flaming tap-water, poverty, income inequality, and even low sperm counts. All these claims have been debunked.
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