Marcellus Shale gas well development near hundreds of schools, day care centers and hospitals across Pennsylvania poses a significant health risk to children and individuals with existing medical conditions, according to a new report by PennEnvironment.

According to the 50-page report released Thursday, the state Department of Environmental Protection has granted Marcellus Shale drilling permits within 2 miles of 320 day care facilities, 67 schools and nine hospitals statewide.

PennEnvironment, a statewide environmental organization, said the well drilling industry has "a track record of pollution, accidents and violations" and called on federal, state and local governments to provide protection for "Pennsylvania's vulnerable populations" by requiring a much wider buffer around drilling sites.

The report found that between January 2008 and June 2010 the DEP recorded 241 violations of environmental regulations at well sites within 2 miles of a day care and 40 violations within 2 miles of schools, not counting traffic violations involving tanker trucks servicing wells.

"We're calling on Pennsylvania to designate areas around schools, hospitals and day cares off limits to development of Marcellus Shale wells," said Erika Staff, of PennEnvironment's Research and Policy Center. "This report is meant to raise a red flag about the elevated risk for those working and going to schools that are close to gas wells."

State regulations require only a 200-foot buffer zone between gas wells and occupied structures, including schools, day cares, hospitals and homes.

"That's too close," Ms. Staff said. "There should be a huge expansion of the buffer zone."

In Allegheny County, where just three Marcellus Shale wells have been drilled to date, 12 day cares and four schools are located within 2 miles of the wells and four of those day cares and two of the schools are less than a mile from the wells.

In Washington County, where hundreds of wells have been drilled and hundreds more permitted, 39 day cares, 11 schools and two hospitals are within 2 miles of a permitted well site. Eleven of the day cares, four of the schools and one of the hospitals are within 1 mile of a permitted well site.

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