Repealing the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amendments to permit hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in Nova Scotia

A letter from the Nova Scotia committee of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to Premier Tim Houston urging the government to maintain bans on hydraulic fracturing and uranium mining due to significant public health and environmental risks.

• Physicians warn that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is linked to severe health outcomes, including increased rates of preterm births, low birth weight, congenital defects, childhood asthma, leukemia, and higher overall mortality rates. Specifically, a 2022 study in Environmental Health Perspectives indicated that children near fracking sites had 2-3 times higher odds of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, while a JAMA Pediatrics study found increased risks of spontaneous preterm birth and low birth weight for pregnancies within 10 km of wells.
• Uranium mining is identified as a source of radiation exposure and toxic metal contamination, historically linked to increased lung cancer and respiratory diseases. The document notes that 85% of radioactivity in uranium ore remains as tailings containing radium, polonium, and radioactive lead-210, creating a permanent health hazard. Examples of failures include a 94 million gallon spill in Church Rock, New Mexico, and a two million litre contaminated water spill in Elliot Lake, Ontario.
• The authors argue that expanding fossil fuel extraction is incompatible with Nova Scotia's climate targets and exacerbates the causes of local severe flooding, monster wildfires, and heatwaves. They state that the health impacts of these industries disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, disabled people, and specifically Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities.
• CAPE Nova Scotia calls on the government to maintain restrictions on fracking and uranium mining, invest in clean renewable energy, require comprehensive health impact assessments, and ensure free, prior, and informed consent from Mi’kmaw communities in accordance with UNDRIP.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2025). Repealing the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amendments to permit hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in Nova Scotia. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NS-physicians-warn-about-health-harms-letter-to-Premier-Houston.docx.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Repealing the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amendments to permit hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in Nova Scotia. 2025. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NS-physicians-warn-about-health-harms-letter-to-Premier-Houston.docx.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Repealing the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amendments to permit hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in Nova Scotia |date=19 February 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NS-physicians-warn-about-health-harms-letter-to-Premier-Houston.docx.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2025repealing, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Repealing the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amendments to permit hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in Nova Scotia}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NS-physicians-warn-about-health-harms-letter-to-Premier-Houston.docx.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }