Epidemiological monitoring plan for geothermal developments.
In order to assure that geothermal developments in the Imperial Valley of California proceeded on an environmentally sound basis, The U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration contracted with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to conduct a comprehensive study of six aspects of the region and its potential problems: Air Quality Water Quality, Ecosystem Quality (Soil, Plants, Animals, etc.) Subsidence and Induced Seismicity, Health Effects, and Socio-Economic Effects which may result from the proposed development. This report of the possible health effects is designed to be repeated as geothermal developments progress. It includes both general health attributes and attributes which may be likely to be adversely affected by such developments and is focussed on two different populations, one likely to be affected and a second which is less likely to be affected. Such a design permits the easier identification of possible effects against a background of time-dependent processes in later phases of the study. This baseline study documents that before such developments, there were differences in health status of the two areas, which were chosen to maximize demographic comparability. It further identifies that odor, a possible problem associated with geothermal development, is currently present, and at times intense. Without such baseline monitoring, the likelihood is great that such effects in the future might be falsely ascribed to the geothermal development.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D004782:Environmental Health; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011210:Power Plants