The League of Women Voters of PA and University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health will host the 2017 Shale and Public Health Conference on November 13 at the Pitt University Club, 123 University Place in Pittsburgh from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Conference will address the health impacts of the various stages of shale gas development, from fracking at well pads, to distribution through pipelines and compressor stations, to ethane crackers and petrochemical processing.

Brian Schwartz MD, Geisinger researcher and Johns Hopkins professor and Tara McAlexander MPH will discuss current studies of unconventional natural gas development and heart failure, and depressive symptoms.

Keynote speaker will be former Philadelphia Health Commissioner Walter Tsou MD, now Executive Director of Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility, will address the significance of research on the health impacts of shale gas development.

A panel of local and national research experts will explore how to research the public health impacts of the ethane crackers and petrochemical development being planned for the Pittsburgh region.

The Conference will also include citizen science and other practical applications, such as learning how to collect and interpret pollution data from air monitors, and how to join a shale health registry.

In a break-out session, Pittsburgh-area pediatrician Dr. Ned Ketyer will present to physicians and health professionals about patient health impacts from climate change which are now being seen in doctor’s offices and emergency rooms.

This free conference is open to the public. A buffet lunch is available for $14.

The Conference is part of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania’s educational programming, which is supported by grants from the Colcom Foundation and The Heinz Endowments to the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund.

For more information and to register, visit the Shale and Public Health Conference webpage or call 1-800-61-SHALE.

Visit the League of Women Voters of PA’s Straight Scoop On Shale Drilling webpage for background information on natural gas drilling and videos from the 2016 conference.

[Posted: Nov. 2, 2017]

11/6/2017