HIA in the News: “Garfield's Interest in Health Study Praised”
December 21, 2009
Grand Junction Sentinel
"The head of a national initiative promoting use of health impact assessments in public policy decisions is praising Garfield County's apparent readiness to help fund such a study in a community where up to 200 natural gas wells may be drilled.
‘We think this is the sort of work that counties should be doing,' said Dr. Aaron Wernham, a physician who is director of the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Antero Resources is planning to drill the wells from 10 pads in Battlement Mesa, an unincorporated community of about 5,000 residents. Some 400 residents have signed a petition asking the county and state for a health assessment study. It could include measures such as baseline air and water quality testing prior to drilling, and ongoing medical monitoring aimed at detecting possible impacts from gas development..."
