#oiligarchy — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Studies link #NewMexico #drilling to #radiation, #AirPollution, health risks

Small towns in the #PermianBasin have become a petri dish for the perils of living amid the nation’s largest #OilFields.

Jerry Redfern September 15, 2026

Excerpt: "Among various forms of air pollution, the monitoring station measured #radon and the particles that form from its decay. Data in the study showed airborne radiation levels in #LovingNM rising up to five times normal background levels, depending on wind direction.

"Since all readings were taken in one spot, the report’s authors said they could not tie the radiation to a single source. But they pointed to the area’s intense #OilAndGas development, which they said highlights the need for follow-up studies.

"Detlev Helmig, an atmospheric scientist with air quality program Boulder AIR, said,
'The analyses of our monitoring data provide evidence that oil and gas operations in the Loving area are a likely source of atmospheric releases of #radioactivity.' Helmig was an author on the study and helped set up and manage the original monitoring station in Loving.

"This small town in the Permian Basin is a petri dish for the perils of living amid the oil and gas industry’s most productive oil fields. Hundreds of active oil wells lie within two miles of Loving and another dozen large processing facilities sit within the same sweep. The smell of raw #hydrocarbons regularly fills the hazy air.
'It’s pollution,' said Jackie Onsurez, a Loving resident who ran in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. 'You don’t have to be a scientist to wake up and see it’s brown and it’s not dirt.'

"The study says radiation sources include oil and gas industry emissions 'such as #GasFlares at active well pads, gas-fired compressors at midstream sites, and produced water ponds.' "

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/E11NJ

#BigOilAndGas #USPol #Oiligarchy #Cancer #RadonPollution #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LeaveItInTheGround