At their recent annual meeting, members of the NB Green Party voted to endorse a legal challenge being launched by several anti-fracking community groups.
Renewable Energy Advocate Rick Roth says “This is a courageous challenge to the Conservative government’s ill-advised rush to industrialize large areas of New Brunswick in search of shale gas revenues.”
A collection of concerned citizens groups called Know Shale Gas NB has banded together to challenge government plans to exploit shale gas in New Brunswick. Two representatives of one group, Hampton Water First, brought their proposal forward to the Green Party AGM on March 24th.
The group plans to bring an application before the court against the provincial government in order to halt further shale gas development in the province. Spotlighting the environmental, economic, and social impacts will place this program on front pages and in cyberspace media across the country and around the world. This exposure will allow New Brunswickers to decide for themselves whether shale gas development is the right path to pursue.
Hiring a legal team to make the case and to permit engaging experts who will present their evidence is expected to cost $ 500,000 which will be raised through individual donations. Details of the legal challenge are found at http://KnowShaleGasNB.ca
Roth notes “NB Green Party principles demand a robust program to develop alternatives to fossil fuels, and shale gas use undermines that goal. We have supported a ban on shale gas development in the past and welcome the opportunity to endorse this initiative.”
Roth concludes “Permanently stopping shale gas exploitation is critical to ensure both energy security and a pollution-free environment for our children and grandchildren. This program deserves our wholehearted support and that of every New Brunswicker.”
