Posted on behalf of Karen Dike, with Our Longmont…  The Blue Ribbon Panel on oil and gas has once again shown that the Governor’s approach to addressing the health concerns of citizens is a sham.  The latest example of this was the biased panel of state “experts” set up to discuss health concerns in Greeley.  Dr. Larry Wolk, director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environments started off with a disrespectful charade, displaying cigarettes and coke bottles, likening legitimate concerns about toxic emissions from fracking operations next to one’s home to voluntary lifestyle choices.  Sorry Dr. Wolk, this matter isn’t funny to those of us subjected to the daily air pollution from the oil and gas industry. We are concerned about our health and health of our children.

I want to ask Dr Wolk and others who want to take more time to study the health impacts on citizens BEFORE taking action to protect us from toxic air emissions–Where is your adherence to medical ethics?  There are 4 main ethics principles followed in health care.  None of these are met with the plans Dr. Wolk and others outlined to study health effects.

• Respect forautonomy – people have the right to refuse treatment.
• Beneficence – a practitioner should act in the best interest of the patient. 
• Non-maleficence – “first, do no harm”.
• Justice- In research ethics, this means the fair selection of research participants. This also means that the research is voluntary.

Those of us who live in or near Weld County are not lab rats.  We have a right to refuse the experimentations being outlined by these so-called experts.  We did not consent to this, it is not in our best interests, it is harmful, and it is not voluntary.   Let the industry prove that breathing benzene is healthful, then they can drill next to my home. 

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Karen Dike, with Our Longmont