The Environmental Health Project (EHP) works closely with partner organizations to share air monitoring and data analysis capabilities in communities impacted by oil and gas activity and the petrochemical buildout. This post continues our series highlighting these partnerships to spotlight the groups holding industry and policymakers to account and protecting their neighbors.
This quarter we feature the Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC).
How and when did BCMAC get its start?
BCMAC was founded in 2011 by concerned citizens determined to protect our community from the dangers of fracking near the Ambridge Reservoir, a vital source of drinking water. Our grassroots efforts began with educating the public, organizing petition drives, and advocating for local source water protection, leading to significant victories in safeguarding our environment.
Since then, BCMAC has grown into a powerful force for environmental justice in Beaver County. We co-sponsored the Re-Imagine! Beaver County initiative, promoting sustainable, non-fossil-fuel industries for our region’s future. Today, we continue to stand with our community, fighting against industrial pollution and advocating for stronger environmental protections to ensure a healthier, safer future for all.
What are your activities and what do they involve?
Our activities surround advocating for clean air and clean water in Beaver County and the surrounding southwest Pennsylvania region. We do this in a multitude of ways:
We run very active social media accounts where we receive community reports and concerns about their air and or water.
We work to educate the community on the Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania air permit processes for large industrial polluters, like Title V applications.
We work to bring outdoor and indoor air monitoring to individual community households so they can monitor and track the quality of their air.
We work to bring water pitchers to community members in our area who are concerned about their drinking water.
We partner with larger environmental organizations to bring valuable resources to the county, like river clean-ups.
We collaborate with local emergency planning groups to understand what chemicals are traveling through the county and prepare for any potential environmental hazards.
We communicate with large industrial facilities and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection so that local community concerns are heard and addressed.
We engage with the community and then look for opportunities to address their concerns or needs.
We regularly communicate with county leaders and local borough/municipality council members.
We educate residents on the importance and power of community voices.
What is the most important work that BCMAC does?
The most important work we do is empowering our community to stand up as watchdogs against environmental threats by providing them with data, resources, and support.
Of what contribution or achievement are you most proud?
In 2023, BCMAC secured two full-time staff members, who grew up and live in Beaver County. Over the past year, they have worked very closely with an extremely dedicated board of directors to increase BCMAC’s capacity and overall footprint. Through the team’s efforts, real-time air monitoring will take place in Beaver County. Our community will now be able to see what pollutants are in the air, if any, through data transmitted from five air monitors placed throughout the county, in a near-live stream on our website.
How does BCMAC’s partnership with EHP enhance the work you’re doing?
Simply put, without the expertise and experience of EHP, BCMAC would be significantly limited in our ability to deliver reliable, real-time data to Beaver County and the surrounding areas. Their support provides us with the essential resources and the knowledge necessary to ensure our community has access to high-quality, actionable information.
What do you hope BCMAC will achieve in the near future? In the long term?
Our hope is that BCMAC is able to engage with Southwestern Pennsylvania communities in a way that drives change. We want all facilities, petrochemical included, to be responsible, and accountable for the pollution they emit. We want all community members to be aware of the dangers of fracking. And we want them to do something about it.
In the long term, we want our communities to feel empowered by information and data they have access to on a daily basis, through our work, and require polluters to do better.
Do you have an anecdote about this cause/organization that really moved you?
Hilary Flint, director of communications and community engagement at BCMAC, reflects on the environmental disaster that brought her to the organization:
“My journey to working with BCMAC began with a deeply personal experience that changed my life. When the Norfolk Southern train derailment happened in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxic chemicals that threatened the safety of my home in Beaver County and my health. Living through the aftermath of that derailment was a harrowing experience. I had to come to terms with the reality that my own home was contaminated. The fear, uncertainty, and frustration were overwhelming, but what stood out to me during that time was how the environmental community responded, including BCMAC.
“My personal experience drives me every day to fight for environmental justice and to empower our community in the face of petrochemical pollution and corporate greed. Working with BCMAC is not just a job for me—it’s a mission that’s rooted in my own story and the stories of those around me.”
Do you have a message to share?
BCMAC is committed to driving meaningful change across Southwestern Pennsylvania. We are dedicated to raising awareness among community members about the dangers of fracking and other environmental hazards that threaten health and wellness.
At BCMAC, we believe that knowledge is power. That’s why we’re focused on empowering our communities with access to information and data every day. With this knowledge, we can demand better practices from polluters and work together to protect our environment for future generations.
Join us in our efforts to create a cleaner, safer, and more informed Beaver County. Follow us on social media, volunteer your talents, and/or join our community meetings! Look for our continued efforts to engage with you! Together, we can make a lasting impact. Visit https://www.marcellusawareness.org/ to learn more and get involved.