EHP – Protective Buffers

The Protective Buffers PA campaign advocates for increasing minimum setback distances between shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure and residential areas in Pennsylvania. Current state law allows well pads as close as 500 feet from homes, with no setback requirements for power plants or pipelines. A 2024 petition to the Environmental Quality Board proposes buffers of 3,281 feet from buildings and 5,280 feet from vulnerable populations like schools and hospitals, backed by 42 scientific studies. Several Pennsylvania municipalities have already adopted stronger local protections. The campaign's legal and organizing strategies — setback ordinances, protective buffers, and community-driven rulemaking petitions — are directly transferable to data center siting fights.