Edmonton | Treaty 6 Territory, Homeland of the Métis Nation | June 26, 2025 — The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) Alberta strongly condemns the provincial government’s decision to eliminate limits on methane gas flaring, an unprecedented rollback that threatens the health of Albertans across the province.

“This is a shocking step backward for public health in Alberta,” said Dr. Stephen Wilton, a Calgary-based cardiologist and CAPE Alberta co-chair. “Flaring releases toxic air pollutants that cause asthma, heart disease, and cancer. This is an abdication of the government’s responsibility to protect the health of Albertans. We urgently need independent air quality monitoring, with public reporting and enforcement. We can’t protect public health if we don’t even measure the harms.” added Dr. Wilton. 

In 2024, oil and gas companies in Alberta flared 912.7 million cubic metres of methane gas, exceeding the annual provincial limit of 670 million cubic metres by 36 percent. The year prior, flaring also exceeded the cap. Rather than enforcing these rules, the government has now removed the limit entirely.

Flaring is the practice of burning off excess methane gas associated with oil production, releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), black carbon, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants are directly linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other serious health conditions. Research shows that just a 1% increase in flaring exposure led to a 0.73% rise in respiratory-related hospital visits. Alberta’s Energy Regulator admitted in 2023 that it does not monitor actual flaring emissions, instead relying on industry-reported data. Independent studies have found that actual emissions are often much higher than reported, particularly for fine particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.

“People living near flaring sites, especially in rural and Indigenous communities, already face higher rates of illness,” explained Dr. Julia Sawatzky, emergency medicine resident physician and co-chair of CAPE Alberta. “Instead of protecting them, the province is giving industry a free pass to pollute. The province says this is about cutting ‘red tape,’ but what they’re actually cutting are essential health protections for Albertans. Albertans deserve better.” added Dr. Sawatzky. 

CAPE Alberta is calling on the provincial government to:

1. Reinstate and strengthen flaring limits based on health impact assessments,
2. Enforce regulations with meaningful penalties for non-compliance,
3. Require comprehensive air quality monitoring near flaring sites with public reporting, and
4. Mandate health impact assessments for all energy projects.

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Media contact:

Reykia Fick
Communications Director | CAPE
647-762-9168
media@cape.ca