The Study is primarily a population-based study, designed to determine if people living in the community closest to the natural gas facility experienced a higher level of health impact that can be attributed to the blowout or ongoing operations of the facility than those living far away. This approach will also help to answer questions about whether people in the community are at higher risk of developing certain medical conditions or diseases in the future, so that residents can take measures to screen for exposure and take preventative measures.
In addition, as part of the Study, we are developing a comprehensive list of the types of medical tests that communities that face these exposures can request from their own physicians. We have further provided the opportunity to hear directly from community members about their experiences in community meetings.