Hi All,
I’m working onmaking some important data about the economic fallout of the
public health consequencesof fracking available to a wider audience. In the
meantime, several of you are doingpresentations in the immediate future, and I
wanted to get you what I have so far. It’s accurate, though quick, dirty, and
clunky...
A study out of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University
published on July 15, 2015 in PLOS ONE
(http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131093)found
that fracking is associated with a significant increase inhospitalizations
across a broad range of medical specialties in two counties inPennsylvania. The
researchers tracked hospitalizations across 23 medicalspecialties in
Susquehanna, Bradford, and Wayne Counties between 2007 and 2011.During this
period fracking increased in Susquehanna and Bradford Counties anddid not occur
at all in Wayne County.
Within this stable population, areas with more than 80 frackedwells within 60
square miles saw a 49% increase in hospitalizations for cancer,a 54% increase
in neonatological hospitalizations, a 71% rise inhospitalizations for
neurological and rheumatological problems, a 43% increase in hospitalizations
for endocrineconditions, a 24% rise in hospitalizations for heart problems,
a50% increase in hospitalizations for urological issues, and a 38%rise in
hospitalizations for dermatological issues.
The woman with whom I’m working, Cyndy Nayer, has zeroed in on theeconomic
ramifications of one of these conditions. That 24% increase inhospitalizations
for heart problems translates into an additional $285,000 intaxpayer-borne
healthcare costs. And each hospital stay over and above thebaseline rate in
2007 led to an average of $6,450 in absenteeism expenses tobusiness.
These results are in line with those of an increasing number ofstudies
originating elsewhere in the U.S. and reams of anecdotal data. Thereare
dramatic public health (and associated economic) consequences associatedwith
fracking.
Copyright 2015 Michelle Gale and Cyndy Nayer
I’ll haveinformation on the economics of the increase in hospitalizations for
cancer,and hopefully neonatology, shortly. This is data you can use in
yourpresentations and correspondence in the meantime.
Onward,
Michelle