Health Impact Assessment of Shale Gas Extraction Workshop Summary (2014) / Chapter Skim
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4 Occupational Health and Community Impacts
4 Occupational Health and Community Impacts
Pages 27-38
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From page 27... ...
NIOSH FIELD EFFORT TO ASSESS CHEMICAL EXPOSURES IN OIL AND GAS WORKERS: HEALTH HAZARDS IN HYDRAULIC FRACTURING Eric J Esswein, M.S.P.H.
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From page 28... ...
During 2010–2011 the NIOSH Field Effort research team collected 111 full-shift personal breathing zone samples for respirable crystalline silica during active hydraulic fracturing operations. NIOSH determined that more than 50 percent of the samples exceeded a calculated OSHA permissible exposure limit, 68 percent were greater than the NIOSH recommended exposure limit; in some cases by factors of 10 or more,
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From page 29... ...
Mr. Esswein reiterated that NIOSH determined that respirable crystalline silica is a significant occupational health hazard associated with hydraulic fracturing; diesel particulate is also a likely occupational health hazard.
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There is no systematic surveillance for oil and gas extraction workers and no known sentinel cases of accelerated or acute silicosis in the workers. Companies have informed NIOSH that they are expanding preemployment physicals to assess baseline pulmonary function and improving respiratory protection programs.
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Assistant Research Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Colorado School of Public Health Roxana Witter noted that she led a team from the Colorado School of Public Health that conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of a proposed natural gas project in a small community in western Colorado.
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From page 32... ...
Are there ways to shape population influx, perhaps through controlled or slower development, involving local governments, facilitating community engagement, and providing jurisdictional control? The Colorado School of Public Health research team recognized that the environment around natural gas drilling sites is changing and difficult, and that it is hard for HIA to assess all impacts up front, in advance of actual implementation.
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From page 33... ...
Natural gas is a nonrenewable natural resource, and any discussion about jobs and economic development related to natural gas needs to acknowledge that when the gas is gone, the basis for economic activity is gone as well. There is much uncertainty about health effects and other aspects of unconventional gas development, stated Dr.
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From page 34... ...
The shale gas drilling has dramatically increased traffic, with studies indicating that in 2010, some drilling locations averaged 3,100 to 3,900 tractor trailers at each location, a 10-fold increase over several years of drilling. Tractor trailer traffic can have considerable effects on local communities, including implications for road safety.
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From page 35... ...
Also, when production sites are dispersed, as in mining, there are lessons that could be learned about what has and has not worked and how to avoid mistakes that were made. Lynn Goldman restated the assertion made by several speakers that there are gaps in research on the health and social effects of shale gas extraction, and asked about the level of funding available to support research in the field.
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From page 36... ...
A final audience question to Dr. Witter inquired whether she planned to follow up with and study the medical records of people she found had respiratory exposures related to shale gas drilling.
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From page 37... ...
2009. Energy boomtowns & natural gas: Implications for Marcellus Shale local governments & rural communities.
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