EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
America’s shift to natural gas has contributed to gains in student achievement nationwide. The fuel has displaced dirtier coal, leading to cleaner air while bringing more economic opportunity.
But those benefits may come at a cost for thousands of students whose schools sit near pipelines, wellheads and flare stacks, as extraction can release noxious emissions. Some research has found that student learning is directly harmed by air pollution from fossil fuels — even when socioeconomic factors are taken into account — though the effects on academics are mixed.
The Associated Press recently partnered with Searchlight New Mexico to report on the complicated relationship between schools and oil and gas infrastructure in the Land of Enchantment. Drilling for oil and natural gas has been a boon for New Mexico’s coffers and brought more jobs to rural areas, helping to fund schools. However, our reporting found instances of children on Navajo Nation missing class because of nausea, headaches and other symptoms they blame on the air quality. Ultimately, schools in New Mexico’s oil patch see inconsistent academic and attendance outcomes, prompting some to call for more robust studies.
Local versions of this story are possible across the country, particularly in the 12 states that have public schools in close proximity to major oil or gas fields. We gathered and analyzed data from the Global Energy Monitor showing which schools in those states and specific counties are located within five miles of this infrastructure. See the data below, along with publishable lines for key states and locales you can plug into your stories.
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READ AP AND NEW MEXICO SEARCHLIGHT’S STORY
Oil and gas have boomed in New Mexico. Its schools are contending with pollution’s effects
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KEY TAKEAWAYS AND WHERE TO FIND THE DATA
An Associated Press analysis found 1,067 public schools in 12 states that are within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
Data came from the Global Energy Monitor’s Oil and Gas Extraction Tracker, a project by an international network of climate researchers. The data shows major oil and gas fields and assets in the United States. Researchers counted the collection of all wells owned by one company in one county as an asset. They tracked the largest units that together made up 95% of energy production in that state.
The AP then used geographic data from the National Center for Education Statistics to find all operating oil and/or gas fields and assets that were within five miles of a public primary or secondary school.
Find AP’s data on major oil/gas fields and assets across the United States here. Each row represents a combination of one school and one major oil/gas field and their distance from each other.
Find AP’s analysis on individual wells in New Mexico here.
Note that the location of each school was compared to the center of each field or asset. However, since assets are often fairly spread out collections of wells, individual wells may be much closer to schools.
For example, AP found 16 schools in New Mexico that were at least five miles away from major oil and gas fields. When that analysis was expanded using state-level data on individual wells of all sizes, the list of vulnerable schools grew: 74 schools were within a mile of at least one individual oil/gas well.
Reporters should consider these numbers to be the tip of the iceberg and a starting point for further investigations. Earthworks and the FracTracker Alliance have compiled a list of sites where you can download state-level oil/gas well data here.
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WHICH PLACES HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SCHOOLS NEAR MAJOR OIL AND GAS WORKS?
Here are publishable lines for the top five states with the highest number of schools within five miles of a major operating oil and/or gas field (feel free to plug this text into stories):
— Texas has the most schools — 671 — located within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— California has the second-highest number of schools — 298 — located within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Louisiana has the third-highest number of schools — 207 — located within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Pennsylvania has the fourth-highest number of schools — 155 — located within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Colorado has the fifth-highest number of schools — 98 — located within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
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Here are publishable lines for the other states in our database:
— Oklahoma is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— West Virginia is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— North Dakota is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Ohio is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Wyoming is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— New Mexico is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
— Alaska is one of 12 states that have public schools within five miles of a major oil or gas field.
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Here are publishable lines for the top 10 counties with the highest number of schools near major fields:
— Tarrant County, Texas, ranks No. 1 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. The Fort Worth-area county has 340 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Los Angeles County ranks No. 2 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Los Angeles has 231 schools near such infrastructure.
— Weld County, Colorado, ranks No. 3 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Weld County has 77 schools near such infrastructure.
— Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, ranks No. 4 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. The Pittsburgh-area county has 64 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Midland County, Texas, ranks No. 5 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Midland County has 48 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Caddo Parish, Louisiana, ranks No. 6 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. The Shreveport-area county has 43 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Ector County, Texas, ranks No. 7 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Ector County has 43 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Kern County, California, ranks No. 8 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. The Bakersfield-area county has 38 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, ranks No. 9 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Westmoreland County has 36 schools located near such infrastructure.
— Dallas County, Texas, ranks No. 10 among U.S. counties with public schools near major oil or gas fields. Dallas County has 28 schools located near such infrastructure.
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REPORTING THREADS:
— How many students in your area are exposed to emissions from oil or gas wells, and what are the demographics of those students? For example, in New Mexico reporters found that schools near oil and gas wells disproportionately served Native American and Hispanic students, and two-thirds of the schools were low-income. Schools near major oil or gas fields are listed in the database linked above. To figure out a school's demographics, you can visit your state's education data portal or look it up in the federal NCES school search tool.
— Talk to families, school officials and school nurses in your area. For schools close to oil or gas wells, do nurses report seeing many kids with side effects from potential emissions, such as nosebleeds, sinus infections or headaches? Do locals report any odd smells in the air?
— Has the state or any local groups done any monitoring of emissions levels near schools in your area? Have there been any calls for regulations specifically around schools and oil/gas wells? For example, New Mexico stopped giving permits for new oil and gas wells within one mile of a school on state trust land.
— What role does the oil and gas industry play in your local education system? Have companies donated any money to schools or to political campaigns? How much funding flows to school budgets from taxes on oil and gas?
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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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