PHILADELPHIA The University of Pennsylvanias Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) and the Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI) will co-host a symposium on February 18, 2014 about the public health affects of natural gas drilling operations.

This meeting aims to profile the state of the science as it relates to the public health and environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing. Stakeholders from the four major affected groups government, academia, industry, and concerned citizens will all be participating as speakers and attendees. The symposium will profile ongoing research on this topic, and the day will end with a session on citizens concerns and a panel discussion.

Sessions and speakers include:

The Hydraulic Fracturing Process - Are there effects on air and water quality?

Tim Bechtel, PhD, Earth and Environmental Studies, Franklin and Marshall College

Peter DeCarlo, PhD, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering & Department of Chemistry, Drexel University

Lisa Senior, Acting Water-Quality Specialist, USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Public Health Impact - What is happening now?

Lisa McKenzie, PhD, MPH, Department of Environmental and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health

Trevor M. Penning, PhD, CEET Director, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

See the original post here:

Symposium on the Impact of Natural Gas Drilling on Public Health and the Environment to be Held at Penn