A PR policy synergy person, not even part of CAPE, was lead author. Canadian doctors did not link frac’ing to these health harms, others did. Their report is a review, an industry-enabling significantly incomplete review of health and environmental harms caused by frac’ing.
Cancer, birth defects and other health harms; air, land, food, water, noise pollution; intentional dumping of toxic waste; damaging frac quakes; and more have been linked to frac’ing for years.
Canadian doctors link fracked natural gas to cancer and birth defects, MDs also call attention to fracking-associated links to pollution and global warming by Martin Dunphy, January 30, 2020, Straight
In a new report released January 29, a group of Canadian doctors has called for a national moratorium on all new fracking operations.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) also urged an eventual phasing out of all existing such developments.
In the report, titled Fractures in the Bridge: Unconventional (Fracked) Natural Gas, Climate Change and Human Health, environmental and health hazards associated with fracking are examined.
Fracking releases trapped natural gas deep beneath the Earth’s surface by blasting water, toxic chemicals, and sand at high pressure through drilled horizontal wells [and there’s the intended benefit to industry with CAPE’s report, get media to wrongly define frac’ing to keep industry frac’ing and happy, and keep media reporting it incorrectly. I am so sick of the deceptions to the public by synergy groups like CAPE] to fracture rock that is enclosing gas reserves.
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Definition of Frac’ing Reality Check.
There is no mention of “horizontal” in the real definition (or “high volume” or “deep”):
It’s bad enough that oil and gas companies, regulators and politicians lie to the communities, families and landowners they harm, the public, and the courts.
This lie by Encana was filed in court (the snaps in the slide below were copied directly from data on file with the regulator for Encana’s two most shallow, vertical frac’d gas wells near Rosebud, Alberta, 5-14 and 02-06-04):
Hundreds of Encana’s frac’d wells during the company’s early experiments at Rosebud and many other parts of Alberta, were ultra shallow into fresh water zones (contrary to the lies to the community that the company only ever fracs “deep,” far below our fresh water to protect it), and mostly vertical (some slant or deviated), not “horizontal.”
Data for the map above and close up below, from Encana’s perf and frac data on file with the EUB, which became ERCB, and is now the AER.
Below is a diagram of the 5-14 that illegally frac’d Rosebud’s drinking water aquifers in 2004, from a January 2005 report commissioned by Encana, and sent to the water and energy regulators (both kept this secret and worked to cover-up Encana’s crimes):
Do you see any horizontal leg? These were all vertical frac’s, into not just one fresh water aquifer, but two. (Encana illegally diverted 8,000 litres fresh water a day from this one shallow gas well, without the required permit under the Water Act which the “regulators” also knew and did nothing about, but deregulate.)
NGOs like CAPE, Sierra Club and Council of Canadians wrongly defining frac’ing as only deep, horizontal, high volume enable phenomenal frac harms to many. STOP IT!
End Definition of Frac’ing Reality Check
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Among the “frightening health impacts” associated with fracking that were mentioned in a January 29 news release issued the same time as the report are “adverse reproductive outcomes, low birth weight, birth defects, and leukemia in children exposed in utero”. The release of toxic chemicals into water and air and a fracking-related increase in earthquakes [Another intended benefit to industry, down play the frac quake impacts. In some frac fields, earthquakes started after frac’ing, they did not just “increase”] also received mention.
Image by SIERRA CLUB B.C. [another synergizing NGO. The image shows only one type of harmful frac’ing. There are many others. CAPE and Council of Canadians also wrongly define hydraulic fracturing. Misleading propaganda to keep industry happy & frac’ing.]
“Many adverse health effects have been identified in studies directed at fracking operations, but the strongest evidence is for negative impacts on pregnancy and birth outcomes and the aggravation of asthma,” Notebaert added. “The evidence for low birth weight is quite strong, which is disturbing, as low birth weight is an indicator for a number of serious health impacts, including developmental deficits in children and increased rates of cardiovascular disease in later life. There is also reason to believe that fracking increases the risk of leukemia among children whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy.”
One of the most dire prospects for the environment concerns the leakage of methane from fracking operations. As a climate-warming greenhouse gas, methane is 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, which is often portrayed as the chief villain in human-caused global warming and climate change.
Methane comprises almost 100 percent of natural gas.
… CAPE board member and Vancouver family physician Dr. Larry Barzelai addressed those climate concerns in the January 29 release: “Fracking for natural gas in B.C. is catastrophic news for climate change. Global methane levels have been steadily escalating over the last decade and new evidence points the finger at fracking.”
CAPE executive director [NOT A DOCTOR, A LAWYER with previous experience working for synergizer, frac-enabler Pembina Institute!. WHY DID CAPE HIRE A LAWYER TO LEAD THEM?] Robin Edger urged the federal government to abolish fracking in Canada: “Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is feeding the climate crisis, compromising our ability to meet our commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, and threatening our ability to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change,” he said. “Fracking threatens our health and is contributing to climate change. The only responsible step for government is to ban it outright.” [BUT, CAPE’S REPORT DOES NOT CALL FOR THIS.]
The release noted that five Canadian provinces and six U.S. states have declared moratoriums [CAPE MAKE MANY MISTAKES ON THIS. SOME OF THESE ARE LEGISLATED BANS, NOT MORATORIUMS. THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE.] on fracking natural gas, not to mention European countries such as Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. Uruguay has also adopted a moratorium.
Refer also to:
Many more details on CAPE’s deceptions in this post:
Synergy Strikes Again! CAPE releases new report on frac’ing with great comment by Executive Director, lawyer Robin Edger: “Fracking threatens our health…. The only responsible step for government is to ban it outright.” But, his quote is not included in the report, which is drek (“peer” review by Encana-AER-OGC enabler Pembina Institute).
And then, there’s industry’s heinous laddered/stacked frac’ing cube experiments:
Encana’s Supersize Spatial Intensity Frac Cube Experiment Fails
Photo on the cover above: Ernst’s drinking water in 2006, after Encana’s illegal fracs and fresh water diversions. Ernst’s water is too dangerous to even use to flush toilets.
Historic records and baseline testing of Ernst’s water by Encana show no gas present.
Ernst requested baseline testing by Encana after her neighbour warned her his water well went bad from nearby gas wells. Encana lies to the media and others, claiming Ernst refused to allow Encana to test her water.
Above and below slides by Ernst for her speaking events, made using Encana’s 2006 Technical Briefing on CBM (not made public by Encana).
Settlements and gags on the oil and gas industry poisoning water, a vital public resource, must be made illegal. They hide industry’s plague of drinking water contamination cases, including blowing up innocent people on their private properties, with our regulators looking the other way, helping cover the crimes up instead of holding companies accountable.
Another Encana (now Ovintiv) lie. Ernst hauls alternate safe water herself.
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