Nonprofit to study Pa. gas drilling, public health

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A nonprofit group has opened an office to assess the public health effects of Marcellus Shale gas drilling in western Pennsylvania.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports today that the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project has opened an office about 15 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

The nonprofit notes growing local concerns over the potential health effects from releases associated with gas drilling. The project is funded by the Heinz Endowments, the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Claneil Foundation.

The natural gas industry says tens of thousands of wells have been safely drilled around the country, providing jobs and lowering energy costs.

The nonprofit’s director, Raina Rippel, says an on-site nurse practitioner is available by appointment for home visits and consultations.