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

A letter from CAPE Nova Scotia physicians warning the provincial government that repealing bans on fracking and uranium mining would cause severe health harms, including increased cancer and birth defect rates, and contradict the province's climate goals.

• Medical evidence links proximity to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites to 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 children near these 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 within 10 km of wells.
• Uranium mining presents severe health hazards through radiation exposure and toxic metals, historically causing increased lung cancer and respiratory diseases. The environmental legacy includes radioactive waste with half-lives of tens of thousands of years, where 85% of radioactivity remains in tailings containing radium, polonium, and radioactive lead-210.
• The health and environmental burdens of fracking, uranium mining, and climate change disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, specifically Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and low-income rural populations.

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} }