N.B. government taken to court over future of fracking

In a July 18, 2013, photo a huge plume of gas burns while work progresses at a fracking site run by Encana Corporation in a heavily wooded area between Kalkaska and Grayling, Mich. (AP / Detroit News, Dale Young)

SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- A New Brunswick group has launched legal action against the provincial government in an effort to halt shale gas exploration in the province.

The New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance filed the 18-page statement of claim today with the Court of Queen's Bench in Saint John.

The alliance -- which includes 22 community organizations -- is calling for a moratorium on the development of unconventional shale gas and oil in New Brunswick until scientific studies show it can be done safely.

The group is concerned that shale gas wells pose a danger to water and the air.

It says Premier David Alward's Progressive Conservative government has dismissed scientific evidence about the threat posed by the industry.

The government has been promoting the industry in the hopes it will create jobs and revenue.

The province was not immediately available for comment.