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The Impact of Oil and Gas Extraction on Infant Health

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  • Elaine L. Hill

Abstract

The benefits and costs of resource extraction are currently being hotly debated in the case of unconventional natural gas development (commonly known as “fracking"). Colorado provides a unique research environment to study the health impacts of conventional and unconventional forms of oil and gas development (OGD) given its long history of conventional OGD and recent expansion of unconventional OGD. I utilize detailed vital statistics and the mother's residential address to define proximity to drilling activity. Using a difference-in-differences model that compares mothers residing within 1 km to mothers residing 1 - 5 km of a well (before and during/after drilling), I find that proximity to wells before birth increases adverse birth outcomes and pregnancy-related complications. I find impacts on the extensive and intensive margins and across well types. I also present results suggesting no impacts on fertility or mobility. These results are robust to multiple specifications and suggest that policies to mitigate against the risks of living near OGD may be warranted.

Suggested Citation

  • Elaine L. Hill, 2022. "The Impact of Oil and Gas Extraction on Infant Health," NBER Working Papers 30684, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30684
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    1. Hill, Elaine L., 2018. "Shale gas development and infant health: Evidence from Pennsylvania," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 134-150.
    2. Florencia Torche, 2011. "The Effect of Maternal Stress on Birth Outcomes: Exploiting a Natural Experiment," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(4), pages 1473-1491, November.
    3. Wrenn, Douglas H. & Kelsey, Timothy W. & Jaenicke, Edward C., 2015. "Resident vs. Nonresident Employment Associated with Marcellus Shale Development," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(2), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Riley Wilson, 2022. "Moving to Economic Opportunity: The Migration Response to the Fracking Boom," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(3), pages 918-955.
    5. Emmanuelle Lavaine & Matthew Neidell, 2017. "Energy Production and Health Externalities: Evidence from Oil Refinery Strikes in France," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(2), pages 447-477.
    6. Marchand, Joseph, 2012. "Local labor market impacts of energy boom-bust-boom in Western Canada," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 165-174.
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    9. Melissa S. Kearney & Riley Wilson, 2018. "Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(4), pages 678-690, October.
    10. James Feyrer & Erin Mansur & Bruce Sacerdote, 2020. "Geographic Dispersion of Economic Shocks: Evidence from the Fracking Revolution: Reply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(6), pages 1914-1920, June.
    11. Janet Currie & Reed Walker, 2011. "Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 65-90, January.
    12. Emmanuelle Lavaine & Matthew J. Neidell, 2013. "Energy Production and Health Externalities," Working Papers hal-02024903, HAL.
    13. Hill, Elaine L. & Ma, Lala, 2022. "Drinking water, fracking, and infant health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    14. Grant D. Jacobsen & Dominic P. Parker, 2016. "The Economic Aftermath of Resource Booms: Evidence from Boomtowns in the American West," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(593), pages 1092-1128, June.
    15. Sathya Gopalakrishnan & H. Allen Klaiber, 2014. "Is the Shale Energy Boom a Bust for Nearby Residents? Evidence from Housing Values in Pennsylvania," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 96(1), pages 43-66.
    16. Richard G. Newell & Daniel Raimi, 2015. "Shale Public Finance: Local Government Revenues and Costs Associated with Oil and Gas Development," NBER Working Papers 21542, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Charles F. Mason & Lucija A. Muehlenbachs & Sheila M. Olmstead, 2015. "The Economics of Shale Gas Development," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 269-289, October.
    2. Yao Lu & David J. G. Slusky, 2019. "The Impact of Women's Health Clinic Closures on Fertility," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(3), pages 334-359, Summer.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q33 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Resource Booms (Dutch Disease)
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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