December 19, 2024

Dear Community Members and Families of the Aliso Canyon Disaster area,

We hope this letter finds you well. We write today to update you on the Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study’s progress and upcoming activities and to wish you a happy holiday season.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Thank you all who have attended community meetings, viewed the study website and contents, and engaged with us through other ways.

We held Community Meeting #4 on November 14, 2024, during which the research team provided study updates, reviewed risk assessment methodology, and presented two preliminary analysis results on:

• Focus Group Interviews on Mental Health Effects of the Disaster
• Characterizing the Gas Blowout Using Satellite Images.

We appreciate all the community’s questions and feedback received, which continue to inform and improve the study.

As mentioned in our Mid-Year Community Update, the website has been improved and expanded to include updates, upcoming opportunities to participate, community meeting recordings, presentations, and summaries under the Community webpage. The Resources page includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) and will later include reports and publications produced by the study team. The Study Approach page has been expanded to include more detailed information such as clinical and metabolomics methods.

The Community Engagement Support and Advice Network (CESAN) continues to assist UCLA’s outreach and engagement efforts. A second CESAN meeting was held on August 17, 2024, during which CESAN participants advised the UCLA study team on building community awareness about and outreach materials for the upcoming Resident Health Survey (described below) and presenting preliminary findings to the community. The study team is very appreciative of these suggestions.

Study visibility continues to increase, with coverage in various news outlets and community members reaching out through the study website. Thank you for engaging and please continue to let your community know about the study.

STUDY UPDATES

We are making excellent progress on all study components, both assessing exposures and measuring impacts on health and well-being.

Health Analyses

• The Birth Outcomes results presented at Community Meeting #3 are undergoing revisions for a peer-reviewed journal and will likely publish soon.

• We have obtained statewide healthcare utilization and UCLA Health system data and analyses are underway.

• We obtained Quest Diagnostics blood samples and analysis is ongoing.

• We have added new data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and the analyses are ongoing.

• We completed the autism spectrum disorder data linkage with planned analyses initiated.

• We have received comprehensive cancer registry data from the State of California with analysis frameworks in development.

• The Resident Health Survey and Clinical Assessments data collection instruments are developed and have undergone Scientific Oversight Committee review in December.

• California biobank blood samples are being pulled for metabolomics analysis.

Exposure Studies

• Exposure data obtained from SoCal Gas is being reviewed and integrated.

• Indoor and outdoor air monitoring is in the second and final round of monitoring at 40 locations.

• Raw natural gas sample collection from residential lines is halfway complete.

• The chemical transport modeling is undergoing final quality checks.

• Remote sensing analyses are complete, and were presented at Community Meeting #4. We are preparing a paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal in January.

• Risk assessment framework is complete and was presented for feedback at Community Meeting #4.

UPCOMING STUDY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

In the New Year, we will begin recruitment for participation in the Resident Health Survey (RHS) and clinical assessments. To achieve a representative sample of the affected community, selected community members will receive a letter requesting their participation in the RHS. Of the people who participate in the survey, a subset of individuals who also consented to clinical data collection will be invited to participate in clinical and biomarker assessments and analysis. We’ll let you know when to watch your mailbox for an invitation letter at your home address to participate in the survey, so please respond promptly.

We will continue with biannual community meetings in 2025, to share study updates, preliminary results as available, and hear community feedback.

Please make sure to sign up for our email list on the study website’s Contact Us page to receive information as it becomes available. We look forward to seeing you at the next community meeting!

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and happy New Year,

UCLA Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study Team and Partners