Doaktown council has moved to ban shale gas exploration or extraction near the central New Brunswick village's water sources.

The village’s unanimously decision to prohibit shale gas exploration or extraction near its water sources comes as SWN Resources has informed mayors in Kent County that the company is preparing to start seismic testing in the area.

Doaktown asked the provincial government to complete a hydro-geological survey of its aquifers.

“Following determination of the parameters of the aquifers: the village asks the province to ban any and all exploration for natural gas, or extraction within or near those well field areas,” according to a resolution adopted at a Feb. 9 council meeting.

The council is also asking for the provincial government to provide benchmark tests of the village’s water that could be used to determine any future damage to its water supply.

“The Village of Doaktown has assumed a large and onerous tax burden to provide this essential water service and cannot responsibly permit the province to threaten its purity through its issuing leases to gas drilling companies. Since the province has made the decision on this issue, it must be accountable to any and all persons suffering damages,” the resolution said.

Companies must have permission from local councils to conduct testing within their boundaries.

The Department of Natural Resources forwarded a complaint to the RCMP against Windsor Energy for conducting geophysical exploration within the boundaries of the town of Sussex without the council’s approval. The RCMP ruled it could not move forward with any charges, however.

Seismic testing allows a company to determine if there are any gas deposits beneath the surface.

Drilling still far off: SWN

Tom Alexander, the manager of SWN Resources in New Brunswick, said the company is far from starting new drilling operations in the province.

His company is still interpreting data collected from testing last year to figure out how much gas is underground and whether it's technically feasible to get it out.

Alexander took issue with people who think private companies receive too big a share of the royalties.

"There's been comparisons: 'Well, the province only gets 10 per cent or so, and they get 90,' Yeah? Well, the province and the people of the province don't have to invest in it. It's a very expensive venture to explore and develop for resources like this," he said.

He said the division of royalties will be a key part of the business decision on whether to go ahead.

'Threat' to water supply

Others have warned about the perceived dangers of hydro-fracturing, or fracking, one of the means used to extract natural gas.

Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians, cautioned against what she described as the New Brunswick government's "love affair" with fracking.

Barlow said fracking is a threat to Canada's water supply.

"We don't have national drinking water standards, we haven't properly mapped our ground water, we don't know if we're dealing with it properly or not," she said in an interview.

"We're allowing huge damage to it in our farming practices, in our mining practices, in our energy-producing practices. Now fracking has come along and is destroying more of our water."

Premier David Alward has said repeatedly that companies are just testing to see if there are sufficient shale gas reserves to warrant moving forward with extraction.

Alward used his annual State of the Province speech last month to outline his views that the shale gas industry could turn into an economic benefit for a province that is facing a massive debt and high unemployment.

Alward has also promised, if a shale gas industry were to be set up in New Brunswick, that he would enforce the continent’s toughest regulations.

The Progressive Conservative government is preparing to introduce an environmental protection plan later this spring.