Meagan Weisner
Senior Scientist, Healthy Communities
Work
Areas of expertise:
Air quality, volatile organic compounds, oil and gas, environmental epidemiology, policy
Description
Meagan is a Senior Scientist in Healthy Communities, with a research focus on assessing the cumulative health risks associated with exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from upstream oil and gas facilities. She leads research that connects community exposure from oil and gas-related pollution with policy initiatives, with the aim of driving equitable and technically-feasible solutions to protect public health.
Background
Prior to joining EDF, Meagan worked as the Senior Environmental Epidemiologist for the City and County of Broomfield (Colorado). In this role, she worked directly with residential communities impacted by unconventional oil and gas development. Her work focused on overseeing and supporting the largest municipal oil and gas air quality monitoring program in the state, which led to an epidemiological investigation with the Colorado School of Public Health. Her work has significantly contributed to the scientific understanding of oil and gas operations, exposure to volatile organic compounds, and associated health outcomes. She has testified in numerous oil and gas hearings and state rulemakings to advance public health protections for oil and gas communities. Additionally, Meagan has extensive knowledge of exposure to metals in drinking water, and how issues of equity play a pivotal role in the ability to influence household tap water quality.
Meagan holds an affiliate faculty position with the University of Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Ph.D. Geosciences, Florida Atlantic University
M.A. Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University
B.A. Anthropology, Oregon State University
Publications
Weisner, M.L., Varner, P.M., Ku, I., Collett, J., Buck, B., Mckenzie, L.M. (under review). Cumulative Human Health Risk Assessment of Regional Ozone and Volatile Organic Compounds from Unconventional Oil and Gas Sites in Colorado’s Front Range.
Weisner, M.L., Harris, M.S., Mitsova, D.M., and Liu, W. 2023. Drinking Water Disparities and Aluminum Concentrations: assessing socio-spatial dimensions across an urban landscape. Social Sciences and Humanities Open. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100536
Weisner, M.L., Allshouse, W.B., Erjavac, B., Valdez, A.P., Vahling, J., McKenzie, L.M. 2023. Health Symptoms and Proximity to Active Multi-Well Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Sites in the City and County of Broomfield, Colorado. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/2634
Weisner, M.L., Root, T.L., Harris, M.S., Mitsova, D.M. and Liu, W. 2020. The Complexities of Trust between Urban Water Utilities and the Public, Sustainable Water Resources Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-020-00407-6
Weisner, M.L., and Cameron, M. 2020. Does Yoga Enhance Sustainability? Yoga, Meditation, Sensory Awareness, and Environmental Behavior, Worldviews: Global religions, culture and ecology. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685357-02401101
Weisner, M.L., Root, T.L., Harris, M.S., Mitsova, D.M. and Liu, W. 2019. Tap Water Perceptions and Socioeconomics: Assessing the Dissatisfaction of the Poor, Journal of Sustainable Production and Consumption. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2019.08.008
Weisner, M.L. 2018. Flooding - The City of Boston case study. In: Mitsova, D. and Esnard, A-M. Geospatial applications in climate adaptation planning. CRC Press - Routledge.