When Dawn and Jerry Washo decided to return to Pennsylvania from St. Louis, Missouri to raise their family, Montrose in Susquehanna County appealed to them. The small-town charm certainly worked for their family, but they could never have known when they started Resource Environmental Management in 2002 how perfectly poised they would be to become an integral part of the natural gas industry.
As company president, Dawn brushed up on chemistry to qualify her for compliance reporting and finished her master’s degree in 2008 just as the gas companies arrived. She soon received her certification as a Licensed Professional Geologist, which gave the company even more credibility. Nonetheless, Cabot gave the Washos some advice at first, rather than immediate work. “They said, ‘If you want to work with us, you need more depth. You need more employees,’” Jerry, the company’s vice president, recalled. Resource was small, working with four employees out of a living room at first and then a renovated chicken coop.
Among other services, Resource provides site characterization and remediation. We gave the Washos a call one day when our regular contractors weren’t available. That was the start of a partnership with Resource that has evolved along with the industry.
As Cabot worked through the challenges unique to the Marcellus Shale, Resource was incredibly helpful with our DEP compliance and reporting as third-party contractors. Together, we worked through hurdles and developed new strategies for managing our resources and more aggressive site care.
“Oil and gas gave us an opportunity to grow and maintain our business,” Jerry explained. “Cabot wanted us to continue to grow. They want to maintain a group of contractors they have and hold onto them.”
Fast forward to 2020, and Resource has become one of our most trusted partners, available 24/7 and constantly upgrading their services. Now working from an old, renovated bowling alley, Jerry maintains that the “open atmosphere” works very well for “thought sharing.”
Cabot has continuously challenged the Washos to deepen their talent pool and explore new methodologies. Resource has employed drones to record and transmit site data, requiring fewer boots on the ground and safer response. The company currently has 13 full-time employees and several working part time.
“We were able to attract people here because of natural gas and bring in some high quality people with master’s degrees,” said Jerry. “If you are willing to grow and be progressive, that’s an interest of theirs,” Dawn said of Cabot. “We deal with six or seven operators, and Cabot is the most robust.”
Today, we salute Resource Environmental Management as a shining example of how a company that is equally dedicated to the community and upholding environmental integrity lifts the caliber of all of us working in the natural gas industry.
