The Impact of Oil and Gas Extraction on Infant Health

The benefits and costs of resource extraction are currently being hotly debated in the case of unconventional natural gas development (commonly known as "fracking"). Colorado provides a unique research environment to study the health impacts of conventional and unconventional forms of oil and gas development (OGD) given its long history of conventional OGD and recent expansion of unconventional OGD. I utilize detailed vital statistics and the mother's residential address to define proximity to drilling activity. Using a difference-in-differences model that compares mothers residing within 1 km to mothers residing 1-5 km of a well (before and during/after drilling), I find that proximity to wells before birth increases adverse birth outcomes and pregnancy-related complications. I find impacts on the extensive and intensive margins and across well types. I also present results suggesting no impacts on fertility or mobility. These results are robust to multiple specifications and suggest that policies to mitigate against the risks of living near oil and gas development may be warranted.