Broomfield hires environmental epidemiologist

Broomfield has hired environmental epidemiologist Meagan Weisner — a rare move among local governments in Colorado — to examine possible connections between oil and gas operations and health impacts on nearby residents.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also employs an environmental epidemiologist.

A national search was held to fill the position. Abby Yellman, the city’s director of people and innovation, said 41 people applied for the position. Of those, 10 participated in initial interviews and four were invited to final in-person interviews. Weisner started work Feb. 19. Public Health Director Jason Vahling said the field of epidemiology has existed in the public health industry for a long time, and he described an epidemiologist as a “disease control investigator” similar to someone who would look into the coronavirus. They look at contributing factors, which includes following up with individuals who were impacted and others who may have been involved with that individual.

“The unique thing about environmental epidemiology is it’s a very similar approach, but it’s taking a look at what are those environmental contaminants and how do they influence somebody’s health,” Vahling said.

Adding Weisner to the team brings a different level of expertise to Broomfield that hasn’t existed previously, Vahling said.

While the job posting came about as a public health concerns regarding oil and gas activity, Weisner’s work is not limited to that industry. She also could look at issues of climate change or the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant as they relate to health.

The City Council has approved years of air monitoring services and equipment through Ajax Analytics, Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science and most recently with Boulder Atmosphere, Innovation, Research. Broomfield was initially sending residents who lodged health concern complaints with the city to the state health department, but residents felt they were not being heard.

“We felt there was a need to create a position to begin to look at those associations,” Vahling said, between “what inspectors are seeing and what we’re seeing through operations and environmental programs, the air program specifically, and tying that back to local health concerns.”

The Broomfield council members also contemplated hiring a toxicologist, and approved a budget of $70,000 to contract that work, but public health officials wanted to take a “wait and see” approach.

Weisner has a Ph.D. in geosciences from Florida Atlantic University, a master’s degree in anthropology from the same university and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Oregon State University.

She has worked on high-level epidemiological research, Weisner said, especially within the environmental context. Most notably was work in Florida, where she led a research team that, over the course of a couple of years, looked at several different heavy metals in community drinking water, finding issues with aluminum.