It is a privilege, not a right, to work in the Appalachian Basin developing our natural resources, and a company’s actions show how seriously they take that privilege.
A great example of a company whose actions speak volumes about its commitment to the communities in which it operates is Cabot Oil & Gas, as recent news articles about the company fulfilling a $2.5 million endowment for Lackawanna College (LC) in Pennsylvania – more than a year ahead of schedule – have demonstrated.
There’s no denying Cabot has gone above and beyond to invest in Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier region in a way that will be beneficial for decades to come.
As Pennsylvania state Sen. John Blake (D) recently said, “We always love to see industry invest in the future of our people, and that’s what happened here.”
LC President Mark Volk called the investment that the industry, and Cabot in particular, has made in the school “a game-changer” in previously unimaginable ways, not only for the college, but the region as a whole in previously unimaginable ways.
This money has made it possible for the school to offer workforce training programs that achieve near 100 percent placement in the oil and gas industry after graduation, and the endowment has enabled the college to offer previously unavailable scholarships to locals.
And this isn’t the first time the company has invested heavily in the community. Cabot was instrumental in raising the $4.4 million to build a desperately needed hospital in Susquehanna Co., Pa. Cabot donated $1 million, then pledged another $1 million in a match fund for the hospital, transforming a decades-long discussion into reality in a matter of months.
Endless Mountains Health System opened its doors in 2013, and thanks to Cabot’s efforts, folks in the rural community now have the benefits of modern facilities that many of us take for granted.
Cabot’s investment in the Appalachian Basin is just one of the many examples of how shale development has been and will continue to be a game-changer for our region.
Nicole Jacobs
Hughesville, Pennsylvania
