As part of the Health Observatory for Residents Near the Bure Storage Facility Project (Osarib), the Ester survey is one of four components of the program established to assess the physical and psychological health of residents and non-residents living around the municipalities of Vitry, Champagne, and Der in the Marne department in connection with the Cigéo radioactive waste storage facility project.

Objectives

Ester aims to gather information on how residents living near industrial sites perceive their health, their level of trust, and their quality of life and living environment. This survey enhances our understanding of the health status of residents living near industrial sites, thanks to data not available elsewhere.

Who can participate?

People living near industrial sites are selected at random and confidentially from the telephone directory. A letter has been sent to them explaining the objectives, the context of the study, and the participation process.

How is the survey conducted?

The Ester survey takes place in two phases:

• Starting May 22, 2024: the first phase begins and lasts for three weeks. During this phase, individuals selected at random in municipalities within the Haute-Marne and Meuse departments located within 25 km of the proposed nuclear waste storage facility in Bure will be invited to complete an online questionnaire via a dedicated website or by phone with a survey administrator. The questionnaire is estimated to take 20 minutes to complete.

• A larger-scale rollout is planned starting in January 2025.

When will the results be available?

The initial survey results are expected in 2026.

Partnership and Funding

The survey is funded by public funds from Santé publique France and the Grand Est Regional Health Agency.
Santé publique France is supported by Ipsos for data collection.

Regulatory Framework

The first phase of the survey underwent a data protection analysis.