Summary
In 2011, Baldwin, Pennsylvania passed an ordinance banning natural gas extraction and declaring a community bill of rights. The ordinance removes legal powers and authority from gas extraction corporations within the borough “in recognition that those legal powers are illegitimate and unjust.” It also says the extraction of natural gas threatens the health, safety, and welfare of citizens. Natural communities and ecosystems are awarded rights by the ordinance, which gives authority to residents of the borough to enforce those rights. The ordinance is still in effect.