In 2011, when ProPublica first reported on the different health problems afflicting people living
near gas drilling operations, only a handful of health studies had been published.
Groundwater and air quality testing before, during, and after natural
gas drilling — which includes hydraulic fracturing — should be key components of efforts to ensure the safety of communities
near these sites, according to an expert panel convened to weigh in on public health research needs associated with unconventional natural
gas drilling operations (UNGDO).