People in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Viginia were exposed to harmful carcinogens from 100 super-emitter events in a single year. Earthworks, a grantee, shared the findings in a report on oil and gas pollution, based on aerial and satellite data. The research showed communities were unwittingly exposed to cumulative emissions over 162,000 pounds of methane per hour.
The research was able to identify responsible companies for 59 percent of the plumes, and nearly 30 percent of the sources were polluting every day they were observed between November 2024 and November 2025. Many of the companies responsible claim to be leaders in methane reduction, demonstrating the need for standards that protect people in the Appalachian region from harmful pollutants.
