Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and other health professionals are calling on the government of New Brunswick to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) due to significant risks to human health. Citing a range of scientific studies, the authors link fracking to adverse birth outcomes, increased mortality, and higher rates of cancer and respiratory diseases. They also warn that LNG infrastructure releases dangerous pollutants and contributes to climate change, which they identify as the leading global threat to human health.

• Medical evidence indicates a strong correlation between hydraulic fracturing (or unconventional oil and gas development) and several severe health outcomes for industry workers and residents of nearby communities. These include spontaneous miscarriages, preterm births, babies born with congenital heart defects, neural tube defects, limb reduction defects, and spina bifida, as well as higher mortality risk, reduced life expectancy, and increased incidences of cancer, cardiac, and respiratory diseases.
• Research highlights specific risks to children, including increased rates of childhood asthma, asthma-related deaths, and a higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
• The document identifies significant gaps in chemical safety data, noting that basic information regarding the toxic effects of more than 1,000 chemicals used in fracking is missing.
• Beyond the extraction process, the processing, transport, and use of shale gas via LNG plants and terminals release pollutants—including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide—which are linked to respiratory illnesses, heart disease, and certain cancers.
• The authors argue that methane and carbon emissions from LNG infrastructure exacerbate climate change, which the medical journal the Lancet has designated as the primary global threat to human health.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2024). Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CAPE-NB-Letter-to-Premier-on-fracking-health.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers. 2024. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CAPE-NB-Letter-to-Premier-on-fracking-health.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers |date=9 May 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CAPE-NB-Letter-to-Premier-on-fracking-health.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2024warning, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CAPE-NB-Letter-to-Premier-on-fracking-health.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }