Oil and gas health-study bill dies in committee

DENVER – A bill proposing a study on potential health effects of oil and natural-gas development on the Front Range died in the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

Committee members voted 5-2 to postpone indefinitely House Bill 1297 after the bill passed the House by a 38-26 vote April 17.

Sponsored by Rep. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver, the bill proposed to examine data from Larimer, Weld, Boulder, Broomfield, Arapahoe and Adams counties. The study would have cost $700,000, according to the bill’s fiscal note. A similar measure last year also was defeated.

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Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), part of the UnitedHealthcare family, has pledged its commitment to uplift these communities through substantial investments in organizations addressing the distinct needs of our communities.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment would have conducted the study, consisting of mailed and online health surveys of people living in areas where oil is produced as well as a review of other health studies related to oil and gas.

The study called for a “scientific advisory committee” of nine voting members, together with the chief medical officer for the state health department, who would have appointed the other members.

The committee was supposed to include 10 other nonvoting members, including representatives from the oil and gas industry and environmental community, statistician, economist and two doctors. Other members must have had expertise and a master’s or doctoral degree in public and environmental health, epidemiology, toxicology, behavioral and social science. Oil and gas industry representatives on the committee could not work for an oil and gas operator.

The committee’s meetings would have been open to the public. The final report would have been due Jan. 1, 2017, to be submitted for publication in a scientific journal.