Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, is my home and I treasure it deeply. It sits atop one of the world’s most prolific natural gas formations – the Marcellus Shale.
I am intimately familiar with the effects of the industry, and it’s disheartening to hear folks distort the truth about it. Recent YouTube nonsense by the “Tri-County Landowners Coalition” is a case in point, with the group claiming development by Cabot Oil & Gas would destroy Ohio’s rural character, contaminate water, damage roads, discourage tourism and harm property values.
These claims are false. After 10 years, Susquehanna County has clean air and water, better roads, flourishing tourism, elevated property values and is still happily rural.
Cabot’s reputation was evident at its last annual picnic which turned out 9,000 appreciative neighbors and only two protesters. Cabot has invested billions to develop this extraordinary resource – paying $1.5 billion directly to landowners in lease bonuses and royalties alone – an average of $36,000 for each county inhabitant.
Cabot and others in Susquehanna County have:
• Created hundreds of local jobs.
• Stimulated manufacturing and service business growth.
• Saved family farms.
• Increased wages.
• Paid millions in impact fees that helped lower property taxes.
• Rebuilt hundreds of miles of roads.
• Helped build a state-of-the-art hospital, library and senior housing.
• Endowed a new technical college with industry job placement for graduates.
• Extended natural gas service to homes, schools, government buildings and businesses.
• Supported emergency services, multiple charities and natural disaster relief.
Truck traffic has increased, but the many benefits outweigh this negative.
Before Cabot came, Susquehanna County was dying. Today, our area remains verdant as ever, but with renewed homes, farms and businesses, and more local economic opportunity.
I invite anyone from Tri-County to visit for a tour. You will see how the industry has sustained our rural way of life.
Chris Acker
Montrose, Pennsylvania
