CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

CRESSON, Pa. -- Two central Pennsylvania communities are considering natural gas drilling bans based on an ordinance passed last month in Pittsburgh.

Officials in Cresson and Washington Township, two Cambria County communities more than 60 miles east of Pittsburgh, say local ordinances may be the only way to control drilling in their towns.

Washington Township Chairman Ray Guzic Jr. says his big concern is the effect drilling could have on water quality.

Pittsburgh's ordinance was passed largely to prevent fracking, the injection of chemical-laced water that breaks up rock and helps force gas to the surface. Opponents of the process say those chemicals can contaminate water supplies and even the air near wells.

Both Cambria County towns say their measures are still on the drawing board.