Battlement MesaHealth Impact Assessment and

Exposure/Health Study

Stakeholders Meeting

Roxana Witter, MD, MSPHJohn Adgate, PhD, MSPHLee Newman, MD, MA

Colorado School of Public Health

Feb 3, 2010

BM HIABM EHAMSDISCLAIMER!

Everything you hear is a work in progress

Study proposals and designs are being planned as we speak

You are part of the design process

We are here to hear you

Each step will inform the next

Battlement Mesa Concerned Citizens

Health Study Request

Baseline Health Study and Baseline Air and Water Quality before drilling

Air, Water, Soil Quality Monitoring which is comprehensive and continuous

Medical Monitoring System to detect changes from baseline

Full Disclosure of Drilling Materials to health officials and scientists

Test Buffer Zone of 1000’ feet

TWO Proposed StudiesRelated yet separate

(Not yet funded)

BM HIABattlement Mesa Health Impact

Assessment

BM EHAMSBattlement Mesa Environmental/

Health Analysis and Monitoring Study

TWO Proposed Studies-Related yet separate

BM HIA Use existing data Recommendations (before drilling) Tied to permitting decision Endpoints

– Inform decision-makers– Improve health

TWO Proposed Studies-Related yet separate

BM EHAMS Exposure assessment Health monitoring During drilling/production Not tied to decision Fill data gaps with new sampling/monitoring Endpoints:

Document Exposure levels Health impacts

Information Improve health

Health Impact Assessment (HIA)Grant

Pew Health Impact Project Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 15 Demonstration Projects

Primary investigators Colorado School of Public Health

Partnership with Garfield County Environmental Health

Stronger application demonstrates: Stakeholder outreach Stakeholder partnerships (Garfield County) Strategy for implementation (COGCC, BOCC buy-in) Institutionalization of HIA (HIA conference for state, local,

regional health officials)

HIA ProcessScreening

Scoping

Assessment

Analysis

Recommendations

Reporting

Implementation

Evaluation

Health Impact Assessment

HIA ProcessScreening Potential to affect health

Scoping Stakeholders/ Decision-makers/ Concerns

Assessment Baseline exposures and health

Analysis Anticipated health impacts

Recommendations Minimize negative, support positive

Reporting Draft, stakeholder input, Final

Implementation Recommendations into action

Evaluation Effective/ accepted

HIA ProcessScoping

Who are the Stakeholders?

What are your concerns?

Who are the Decision-makers?

Will decision makers consider the recommendations of the HIA?

What are the hazards?

Can people be exposed to the hazards?

What are the sicknesses that can happen?

What are the ways that the Antero project can help people be healthier?

We are here!

Battlement MesaExposure/Health Analysis and

Monitoring Study Separate yet related to HIA

Uses HIA information as beginning, builds on HIA

Study design dependent upon HIA findings We will develop study design this spring

Longer term (3-5 years)

Not tied to permitting decision

Tied to gas drilling and production

What is the fate and transport of hazardous substances? How and where can you be exposed? Is this sufficient to cause disease?

What Can an Exposure Study Tell Us ?

EnvironmentalMedia

Environment - Individual Interface

Internal - Disease

BM EHAMS Study

What are the HAZARDS that we are concerned about?

Are there routes of EXPOSURE?

Are there HEALTH OUTCOMES that may result from sufficient EXPOSURE to a HAZARD?

BM EHAMS Study

Exposure Assessment Fill data gaps Ambient and personal exposure Air, water, soil

Consider biomarker study Collect blood/urine samples to measure exposure

BM EHAMS Study

Health Monitoring and Analysis Which health effects?

Exposures Population size Current level of disease

Prospective (vs Retrospective)

Possible designs include Hospital/ ER/ clinic discharge and diagnosis data Clinic records review Resident survey

Each design had advantages and disadvantage

Conclusion

Two Studies Related- yet separateScientifically basedDesigned to answer as much of your

concerns as possibleOpen process

Thank you for your help!