Two weeks ago, county commissioners said they plan to lease 426 acres of land near the county jail for drilling. While they want to keep taxpayers informed, they also want other county landowners who have been approached by drilling companies to make sound decisions.

In response, the county's Conservation District will hold two public meetings about natural gas drilling. The first will be held on Dec. 1 at the Rembrandt Sportsmen's Club in St. Benedict at 7 p.m., and the second will be held on Dec. 15 at Penn Highlands Community College at 7 p.m.

Commissioner said they still don't know exactly how much money the county will make from drilling in Marcellus shale, but they've already received positive feedback from residents who hope it offsets taxes.

Currently, commissioners are working with a company that's helping them to find a driller that might not necessarily offer the most money, but will me the most responsible.

County leaders said whether drilling is on private or public land, it could affect everyone's water supply and they want to make sure there's remediation after the job is complete.

Robb Piper, of the Cambria County Conservation District, said the meetings will focus on protecting natural resources and providing information by "taking a look at how this affects the land and water and getting the information out to landowners to help them make the best decisions about their properties." Piper further said the information will be useful to public water suppliers.

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