Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, Second Edition presents a non-partisan perspective on directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, addressing implications for various stakeholders. The book reviews the transformations in UOGD practices, advancement in monitoring technologies, and the new issues identified by both governmental and non-governmental entities. Key topics include the economics of hydraulic fracturing, methane emissions, decarbonization, and responsibly sourced gas, along with climate risk and mitigation. Water quality and waste impacts are examined, followed by discussions on occupational health, public health, and risk communication. The book also covers environmental justice and corporate governance.

• Serves as a collective, up-to-date resource for academics and professionals in the oil and gas, environmental, health, and safety industries, as well as environmental scientists and policymakers
• Features a multi-disciplinary and expert group of chapter authors from academia, non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, and the oil and gas industry
• Provides thoughtful discussion of the ongoing emissions intensity reduction in unconventional oil and gas from a combination of regulation, technology evolution, and voluntary efforts by operators

Debra A. Kaden, PhD has more than 40 years of experience in toxicology and environmental health sciences, with emphasis in the area of air toxics. She is a toxicology principal at RHP Risk Management Inc. Debra is a recognized fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, and she is active in multiple scientific societies, including the Society of Toxicology, the Society for Risk Analysis, and the International Society of Exposure Science. Debra has authored more than 30 peer reviewed publications in toxicology and environmental health sciences and has organized and edited two books.

Eric S. Hodek has over 25 years of environmental management experience, specializing in air quality management for oil and gas operations. He has led hundreds of permitting, compliance, and impact assessment projects for large and small operators across every producing basin in the United States, from Alaska to Texas to Pennsylvania.