Maryland Is Not For Shale: Scientific and Public Anxieties of Predicting Health Impacts of Fracking.

摘要: Abstract In 2011, Maryland established the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative to determine whether and how gas production in state could be accomplished without causing unacceptable risks public health, safety, natural resources, environment. This initiative required a statewide health impact assessment of unconventional development via hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking). Increasing number studies have shown that fracking has significant potential non-health outcomes. However, because its rapid development, there is lack substantive research related effects fracking. I discuss my firsthand experiences as medical anthropologist researcher on multi-disciplinary team tasked with conducting Maryland’s first impacts associated focus fracking, relatively new economically viable source energy an emergent study, brings about scientific anxieties, these anxieties shape subsequent environmental policy decision making processes. reflect role social scientists matters knowledge resulting decisions broader implications such engagement for science.