Health Risks and Costs of Natural Gas Power Plants

The document outlines the health hazards of fossil-fuel power plants, including air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, and the broader impacts of climate change. It highlights the economic burden on the healthcare system, specifically in New Brunswick, and calls for a transition to renewable energy to avoid additional strain on public health and budgets.

• Natural gas power plants release several harmful pollutants: Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) can irritate the respiratory system and may cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and cancer; Carbon Monoxide (CO) can cause death by displacing oxygen in the blood; and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can be carcinogenic and toxic for reproduction.
• Air pollution has severe national and regional health impacts in Canada. Health Canada estimates that approximately 15,300 people die prematurely every year across Canada due to air pollution, which also results in 35 million acute respiratory symptom days and 2.7 million asthma symptom days annually.
• In New Brunswick, vulnerable populations are significantly affected by respiratory issues, with 20% of children suffering from asthma (the leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations) and 20% of seniors living with COPD.
• The document argues that gas power plants drive climate change because they burn methane, which is 84 to 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Specifically, the proposed gas and diesel plant for Tantramar is estimated to generate up to 910,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually, equivalent to the emissions of 200,000 cars.
• Climate change creates direct health threats, including increased natural disasters (such as wildfires in British Columbia), the northward migration of infectious diseases (e.g., Lyme disease and Zika), and severe physiological tolls from extreme heat, as evidenced by 619 heat-related deaths during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome in British Columbia.
• The economic costs of air pollution are substantial, with Health Canada reporting a total economic cost of $120 billion in 2016. In the U.S., avoiding gas plants proposed at the end of 2021 could have prevented $23 to $74 billion in health costs over a 20-year period.
• Healthcare costs in New Brunswick include an average hospital stay of $7,700 (2022-2023), with daily hospitalization costs ranging from $581 generally to $675 in the Moncton and southeast region. Emergency room visits cost $192.17 and doctor visits cost $46.50.
• Pollutants like PM2.5 can cross the placenta, increasing the risk of spontaneous preterm births. In Canada, the median cost per stay for premature infants is $66,669, rising to $91,137 for infants living more than 3 days.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2026). Health Risks and Costs of Natural Gas Power Plants. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Health-Risks-and-Costs-of-Natural-Gas-Power-Plants_CAPE-NB_June-2026.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Health Risks and Costs of Natural Gas Power Plants. 2026. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Health-Risks-and-Costs-of-Natural-Gas-Power-Plants_CAPE-NB_June-2026.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Health Risks and Costs of Natural Gas Power Plants |date=10 June 2026 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Health-Risks-and-Costs-of-Natural-Gas-Power-Plants_CAPE-NB_June-2026.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2026health, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Health Risks and Costs of Natural Gas Power Plants}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Health-Risks-and-Costs-of-Natural-Gas-Power-Plants_CAPE-NB_June-2026.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }