Shale Gas Development and Drinking Water Quality
- (pp. 522-25)
Abstract
Recent studies have linked shale gas development (SGD) to ground water contamination. The extent of these environmental externalities, to date, remains uncertain. To address this gap, we examine whether shale gas development systematically affects drinking water quality by creating a novel dataset that relates SGD to public drinking water samples in Pennsylvania. Our difference-in-differences strategy finds evidence that additional well pads drilled within 1 kilometer of a community water system intake increases shale gas-related contaminants in drinking water. These results are striking considering that our data are based on water sampling measurements taken after municipal treatment.Citation
Hill, Elaine, and Lala Ma. 2017. "Shale Gas Development and Drinking Water Quality." American Economic Review, 107 (5): 522-25. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20171133Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I12 Health Behavior
- Q25 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Water
- Q35 Hydrocarbon Resources
- Q51 Valuation of Environmental Effects
- Q53 Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling