Doctors flag health risks from Hydro expansion

A retired doctor from Brandon is raising red flags on Manitoba Hydro’s proposed gas plant expansion in the city and the health-related consequences of climate change.

Dr. Scott Blyth, a retired family physician who practised out of Western Medical Clinic in Brandon for more than 40 years, identified several health risks associated with long-term exposure to gas plants.

“A simple answer, the plant should not be built because of the potential health risks,” Blyth said in an interview Thursday.

Blyth is a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) — a physician-led organization with 80 members in Manitoba that works on the intersection between health and the environment.

CAPE issued a press release Thursday calling for the province to invest in wind, solar and battery storage instead of the natural gas expansion at the Brandon facility, which the group says could expose more than 50,000 people to harmful pollution.

The $3-billion project, announced last November, includes new combustion turbines, upgrades to electrical transmission and distribution equipment, and a new natural gas pipeline in the area — all to be added to the existing generating station in Brandon’s east end, the project overview says.

Manitoba Hydro says the expansion is necessary to meet the growing demand for power in the province. The Crown corporation estimates the demand for electricity could exceed capacity as early as 2029.

The combustion turbine units to be added will initially be fuelled by natural gas.

“Natural gas is 95 per cent methane, but it also has a number of noxious chemicals that are released when it’s burned, including nitrogen dioxide (and) sulfur dioxides,” Blyth said. “If you’re exposed to nitrous dioxides, you know, your risk of developing certain health issues goes way up.”

Blyth cites inflammatory responses that can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, respiratory conditions such as asthma, exacerbation of old asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) as reasons for concern. He also identified cancer-causing carcinogens and evidence linking exposure to cognitive disorders such as dementia, as other risk factors.

“Certainly, in my practice, more so towards the end of the time I was practising, you definitely could see that there was an increase in especially respiratory issues, problems with folks and patients in Brandon,” Blyth said.

“You could scratch your head, say, ‘Could that be related to our climate and climate change problems?’ and I think the answer to that is most likely it is,” he added. “This certainly is very much something that I feel strongly that Brandonites need to be aware of.”

In addition to the plant proposal, Blyth says climate change as a “big picture” can bring a slew of health concerns.

Methane is a greenhouse gas with 80 times more potency than carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change, which has been linked to health issues caused by extreme wildfire seasons and an increase in Lyme disease, according to a CAPE guide for Manitoba physicians.

The guide goes on to explain that “Manitoba is behind other provinces when it comes to scaling up clean renewable energy and storage.”

A spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro said in a written statement that the gas-powered turbines would operate “on average, five per cent of the time, similar to the two natural gas turbines that have been in service at Brandon Generating Station for more than 20 years.”

“Even with three additional combustion turbines in Brandon, 99.8 per cent of Manitoba Hydro’s electricity generations would continue to come from non-fossil fuel sources,” the statement said.

Blyth argues that despite the messages of electrical reliability, affordability and “not freezing on a cold winter night,” he wants the public to know this project can still be rejected.

In an email statement, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes said the provincial government has identified the project as a Class 3 development under the Environment Act, which means it will generate more than 100 megawatts of electricity and is subject to a more in-depth review process than a Class 1 or Class 2 development.

“Large developments, such as the proposed dual-fuel combustion turbines in Brandon, are subject to Manitoba’s rigorous environment assessment and licensing process,” Moyes said in the statement.

The project will “follow the review process outlined under the Environment Act, including assessing impact to people and the environment,” the statement said.

According to the project timeline provided by Manitoba Hydro, public engagement — a requirement for Class 3 developments — for the turbines concluded in June. Manitoba Hydro is aiming for completion in summer of 2030.

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com