Position Statement on Fracking

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) issued a 2014 position statement calling for an immediate moratorium on fracking in Canada. The document outlines severe environmental and public health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, including the contamination of drinking water, significant greenhouse gas emissions, and the release of carcinogenic chemicals.

• The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment recommends an immediate moratorium on fracking in Canada, suggesting that renewable energy should be developed and promoted to meet energy requirements instead of expanding natural gas use.
• Fracking poses significant risks to water resources, requiring an average of five million gallons of fresh water per event and producing large volumes of contaminated 'produced water' that can leak into ground water and drinking supplies.
• The process contributes to climate change and air pollution through the escape of methane—which is 70 times more potent than CO2—and the high volume of truck traffic required to transport water, averaging 1600 truckloads per event.
• There are serious health concerns regarding the chemicals used in fracking, as companies are not required to disclose them in Canada or the U.S. A literature search indicated that over 75% of these chemicals could damage sensory organs, the gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory systems, while 25% could cause cancer and mutations.
• The document notes documented and anecdotal evidence of health impacts, including an association between proximity to fracking wells and certain birth defects, specifically neural tube and congenital heart defects.

APA

Vakil, C. (2014). Position Statement on Fracking. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CAPE-Fracking-Policy-2014-1.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Vakil, Cathy. Position Statement on Fracking. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2014. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CAPE-Fracking-Policy-2014-1.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vakil |first1=Cathy |title=Position Statement on Fracking |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=2014 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CAPE-Fracking-Policy-2014-1.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vakil2014position, author = {Vakil, Cathy}, title = {{Position Statement on Fracking}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2014}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CAPE-Fracking-Policy-2014-1.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }