BRIEFING NOTE A Call to Action on Health and Healthcare System Impacts of LNG and Hydraulic Fracturing

The briefing note details the adverse health, social, and environmental impacts of LNG and fracking in British Columbia, highlighting risks to rural and Indigenous communities, the strain on local healthcare systems, and regulatory failures. It calls for a moratorium on new developments until a full health impact assessment is completed and recommends a transition to a clean economy.

• Hydraulic fracturing and LNG operations in British Columbia are linked to severe health risks, including increased rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects, childhood leukemia, asthma, and cardiovascular disease. Research specifically identified elevated carcinogens in the air and tap water of First Nations women living near fracking operations.
• The LNG industry is placing significant strain on healthcare infrastructure in Northeast British Columbia. In Dawson Creek, nearly half of the family physician workforce—at least seven doctors—closed their practices and left, citing the health and community impacts of fracking as the primary reason.
• Regulatory oversight of LNG projects is described as insufficient, particularly regarding flaring. Emissions during the commissioning phase can be three times higher than regular operations but are not monitored in environmental assessments. Additionally, the BC Energy Regulator is accused of restricting critical flaring data from the local Health Authority.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2026). BRIEFING NOTE A Call to Action on Health and Healthcare System Impacts of LNG and Hydraulic Fracturing. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Briefing-Note_Health-Impacts-of-Fracking-and-LNG-in-British-Columbia_2026-03-30_CAPE-BC.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. BRIEFING NOTE A Call to Action on Health and Healthcare System Impacts of LNG and Hydraulic Fracturing. 2026. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Briefing-Note_Health-Impacts-of-Fracking-and-LNG-in-British-Columbia_2026-03-30_CAPE-BC.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=BRIEFING NOTE A Call to Action on Health and Healthcare System Impacts of LNG and Hydraulic Fracturing |date=March 2026 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Briefing-Note_Health-Impacts-of-Fracking-and-LNG-in-British-Columbia_2026-03-30_CAPE-BC.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2026briefing, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{BRIEFING NOTE A Call to Action on Health and Healthcare System Impacts of LNG and Hydraulic Fracturing}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Briefing-Note_Health-Impacts-of-Fracking-and-LNG-in-British-Columbia_2026-03-30_CAPE-BC.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }