Natural Gas, Fracking and Health

This fact sheet from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) BC Committee outlines the environmental and health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and natural gas production, specifically focusing on the expansion of the industry in British Columbia.

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming, with scientific consensus indicating it is responsible for one third of all global warming linked to climate change. Due to fugitive emissions throughout the supply chain, natural gas may be as impactful as coal in driving atmospheric warming.
• Fracking operations in British Columbia are expanding toward the coast for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export, which may lead to thousands of new wells. This process consumes tens of millions of litres of clean water per well, contributing to water scarcity in regions like Northeast BC (Peace River), which has been at Level-5 drought since November 2022.
• Fracking is linked to various adverse health outcomes. Air pollution from diesel trucks, compression stations, and flaring releases chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde, which are associated with increased asthma inhaler prescriptions and hospital admissions. Other reported harms include impaired fetal growth, birth defects, childhood leukemia, and heart disease.
• Indigenous communities in British Columbia are disproportionately affected by fracking. Research in Northeastern BC found high levels of fracking-related chemicals in the urine, water, and household air of pregnant women, with some levels being higher among Indigenous women. Additionally, the Wet’suwet’en First Nation has opposed a fracked gas pipeline crossing the Wedzin Kwa River.
• The document characterizes 'renewable' natural gas (RNG) as industry greenwashing, stating it is chemically identical to fracked methane and has the same warming effects. Gas companies admit the renewable portion of RNG typically does not exceed 11% of the total composition.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2024). Natural Gas, Fracking and Health. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAPE-Fracking-print-2c.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Natural Gas, Fracking and Health. 2024. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAPE-Fracking-print-2c.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Natural Gas, Fracking and Health |date=January 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAPE-Fracking-print-2c.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2024natural, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Natural Gas, Fracking and Health}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAPE-Fracking-print-2c.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }