Children living close to fracking sites have two to three times higher risk of Leukemia

Unconventional oil and gas development, more commonly referred to as fracking, exploded over the past two decades, with a particularly frenzied period of drilling in Pennsylvania in the early 2010s. Fracking results in a range of toxic chemicals and pollutants being discharged into the air and waterways, including heavy metals, radioactive material, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds. For example, benzene, a known carcinogen, is routinely emitted into air and water during the drilling and fracking process.