More than twenty years after hydraulic fracturing transformed Pennsylvania into one of the largest natural gas producers in the United States, the state has yet to fully confront the growing problem of radioactive oil and gas waste. Former officials, scientists, and environmental researchers warn that regulatory oversight has failed to keep pace with the scale and changing nature of fracking, even as new studies show that the waste is far more radioactive than previously understood.

Pennsylvania’s shale gas industry generates massive volumes of solid waste and wastewater every year. Much of this waste contains naturally occurring radioactive materials, including radium, uranium, and thorium, which are brought to the surface during drilling. An analysis of landfill records shows that roughly 72 percent of solid oil and gas waste remains within the state, where it is disposed of in landfills. On average, a truck delivering this waste triggers a radiation alarm at a landfill at least once a day.

Despite the frequency of these alarms, most waste shipments are still accepted. In 2023 alone, radiation alarms were triggered more than 550 times at Pennsylvania landfills due to oil and gas waste, yet only a handful of loads were rejected. Radium-226 was the isotope most commonly detected. While current regulations require landfills to monitor radiation and maintain safety plans, critics argue that enforcement and oversight remain inconsistent and incomplete.

Recent academic research has heightened concern. Studies analyzing wastewater from hundreds of well pads across Pennsylvania indicate that fracking fluids from the Marcellus Shale contain radium levels significantly higher than earlier estimates. Median concentrations were found to be several times higher than those reported in federal and state studies conducted during the early years of the fracking boom. In some cases, maximum radium levels reached tens of thousands of picocuries per liter, far exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water limit of five picocuries per liter.

Evidence is also mounting that radioactive materials are entering the environment. Researchers have detected radioactive sediments downstream from landfill discharge points and wastewater treatment plant outfalls. Although individual measurements in landfill leachate—the contaminated liquid produced when rainwater filters through waste—may appear low, the enormous volumes released over years raise concerns about long-term accumulation in waterways and sediments.

Regulatory gaps have added to the problem. While state authorities announced plans several years ago to require regular testing of landfill leachate for radium, those requirements have yet to be implemented. Records obtained through public information requests show that leachate test results from recent years do not include radium data. Officials have acknowledged that policies on radiological testing are still being finalized, leaving a critical blind spot in monitoring.

Tracking of oil and gas waste is another challenge. Waste volumes and radioactivity thresholds are supposed to be managed on a quarterly basis, but inaccurate or incomplete reporting could allow landfills to exceed recommended limits without detection. Meanwhile, the state’s last comprehensive study of radioactivity in oil and gas waste is nearly a decade old, despite earlier acknowledgments that further investigation was needed.

Industry representatives maintain that fracking waste in Pennsylvania is well managed and poses minimal risk to workers and the public. They argue that landfill employees face radiation exposures far below legal limits and that existing permits strictly control how much waste facilities can accept. The industry also points to earlier state studies concluding that radiation exposure risks from oil and gas development were limited.

However, critics note that those studies were based on smaller datasets and did not fully account for long-term environmental pathways, such as spills, landfill disposal, or wastewater discharges. Newer research suggests that conditions in the Marcellus Shale differ significantly from other gas-producing regions, with higher concentrations of radium and other elements such as barium, strontium, and lithium. Efforts to extract valuable minerals like lithium from fracking wastewater could create highly radioactive solid byproducts, potentially introducing new disposal challenges.

Workers who handle and transport oil and gas waste are considered among the most at risk. While measured radiation levels generally remain below regulatory exposure limits, experts emphasize the need for consistent monitoring, including the use of personal radiation dosimeters, to better understand cumulative exposure over time.

Communities living near landfills that accept fracking waste have also raised concerns. Residents report persistent odors, environmental changes, and fears linked to radioactive contamination in landfill leachate. The long half-life of radium—up to 1,600 years for certain isotopes—has intensified worries about lasting impacts on soil, water, and public health.

Environmental researchers and advocates are calling for updated statewide studies, mandatory radium testing of landfill leachate, improved waste tracking, and greater transparency. As fracking continues to expand and evolve, they warn that failing to address radioactive waste now could leave Pennsylvania facing long-term environmental and health consequences that are far harder to manage in the future.