A comparative community information needs assessment on health and hydrofracking

This presentation will provide an overview of a three-state (NY, NC, OH) NIEHS-funded project to assess communities' information needs related to health and hydrofracking (goals, methods, progress, initial findings). In addition, she will highlight similarities and differences between the context of hydrofracking in the three states. At the time the research was conducted, hydrofracking had begun in Ohio, was being planned in North Carolina, and was banned in New York. Within each state, different communities and stakeholders have widely varying perspectives on the practice and its future in their state. These differences persist, despite widespread access to information via interest groups, industry, and web sites. A key dynamic is the vast uncertainty surrounding the scope, scale, and nature of potential health impacts. This presentation will highlight our approach to understanding these differences in perspectives, concerns, and information gaps perceived by diverse community leaders in the three states