Vancouver | Unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh) Nations | January 21, 2026 — In response to today’s reporting by The Narwhal that found LNG Canada has been flaring “more than 15 times the typical amount to compensate for what was described as an ‘integrity issue,’” Dr. Tim Takaro, toxicology and public health expert at Simon Fraser University and volunteer with the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and Tracey Saxby, executive director of My Sea To Sky, say:
Dr. Tim Takaro, toxicology and public health expert, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment volunteer, and Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
“We’re continuing to discover how poorly regulated British Columbia’s LNG industry is, particularly when it comes to risks to human health. We now know that LNG Canada has been flaring at least 15 times more gas than expected. Yet for months, the provincial government, the regulator, and the plant’s operator did not inform or safeguard the facility’s neighbouring community. Because of regulatory gaps and permitting decisions, Kitimat residents have been exposed to unregulated emissions of particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur known to harm human health. This is yet more proof that we need an independent and cumulative health impact assessment of British Columbia’s LNG industry.”
Tracey Saxby, executive director, My Sea To Sky
“What’s the point of a regulator if it is protecting industry at the expense of human health? Canada’s first LNG project is showing us that we cannot trust the BC Energy Regulator to protect the public. The LNG industry in British Columbia has a free pass to operate outside of the already weak regulations and it is putting people at risk. LNG Canada needs to be shut down until the flare stack is operating properly and there is transparency and accountability for community members who have been unknowingly exposed to this toxic pollution.”
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