Posts under ‘Pennsylvania Shell ethylene cracker plant’

CBS News

Shell cracker plant once again issued pollution violation notice

BY PATRICK DAMP: FEBRUARY 18, 2023 / 8:44 AM / CBS PITTSBURGH

INDUSTRY, Pa. (KDKA) – The Shell cracker plant in Beaver County has once again been issued a pollution violation notice. 

This is the third time the state’s department of environmental protection has said the plant has exceeded emission limits, once again violating rolling 12-month standards in November and December.

The plant has only been operational since November. 

The DEP said in November it emitted 716 tons of volatile organic compounds, 200 tons above what is allowed.  read more

REUTERS

Environmental groups plan to sue Shell’s new Pennsylvania plant over emissions

8 Feb 2023

Two environmental groups announced on Feb. 2, 2023 that they plan to sue Shell Chemical Appalachia over air pollution, just about three months after the startup of operations of Shell’s 1.6-million tonnes per year facility with capacity of polyethylene production, and related ethane cracker in Pennsylvania.

The Environmental Integrity Project said in a press release that along with another environmental group named Clean Air Council it filed “a notice of intent to sue (…) for repeated violations of air pollution limits,” it said. read more

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Flaring emissions dominate pollution from Beaver County’s Shell plant

ANYA LITVAK: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette alitvak@post-gazette.com: Jan 22 2023

September was a tumultuous month for the Shell chemical plant in Beaver County.

On Sept. 3, a missing O-ring in a circulation pump led to a leak of isobutane vapor. Two days later, brown emissions were seen coming out of high pressure ground flares — two metal combustion chambers that burn off unwanted gasses from the ethane cracker.

Three days after that, two separate flanges leaked hydrocarbons, and an ethylene refrigerant compressor tripped after it registered a high dew-point temperature. It tripped again two days later because of high vibration, which cascaded into a trip of several other systems. read more

“We have questions to answer” about single-use plastic waste, reveal internal emails from Shell

24 Dec 2022

Shell is under scrutiny as a result of internal emails put into the public domain relating to the controversial Shell Petrochemicals Complex situated along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Extract from a related article 

The multi-billion-dollar Shell facility was fully operational in November after years of construction and has already been charged by state environmental agencies for exceeding the annual limit for volatile organic compounds that create lung-damaging smog. Among the documents, released on December 9, was an email correspondence within Shell’s communications team. read more

Shell air pollution soars during startup of Beaver County cracker plant

By Reid Frazier | Allegheny Front

Published December 15, 2022 at 4:00 PM EST

Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker exceeded state air pollution limits during the months it was preparing to open this fall.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice of violation against the company for going over its limit for volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are chemicals that create smog. read more

Shell’s flaring at Beaver County cracker plant pushed company over air permit limits, data shows

Shell Chemicals’ new cracker plant in Beaver County has exceeded its air permit limits for two months in a row, prompting a notice of violation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The petrochemical plant near Monaca was officially pronounced to be in commercial operations last month, but start up activities began months earlier. In September, the facility had by far its worst air quality month, releasing 492 tons of volatile organic compounds from its high-pressure flare, according to data submitted to the DEP by Shell. read more

Herald-Star

Environmental groups preparing for production at Shell’s cracker plant

MIKE JONES: Staff writer: SEP 30, 2022

MONACA — Environmental groups are mobilizing to monitor air and water quality around Royal Dutch Shell’s soon-to-open petrochemical cracker plant in Beaver County.

Several groups held a joint video conference Tuesday night that attracted more than 200 people who listened how various organizations have already begun testing air and water samples to set a baseline before the plant along the Ohio River near Monaca officially opens later this year.

While most people knew little about Marcellus Shale when the natural gas drilling boom began in Western Pennsylvania and the Tri-State Area in the late 2000s, Environmental Health Project Executive Director Alison Steele said groups like hers are working to educate the public on what to expect from the cracker plant. read more

The announcement comes as the Ohio Valley’s flagship petrochemical project, Shell’s multibillion dollar ethane cracker plant in Potter Township, Beaver County, begins operations after a decade of planning and construction.

Flaring at Shell’s fracked plastic plant in Beaver County, PA. Photo from anonymous source.

Mike Bloomberg commits $85 million to stop petrochemical plants in Ohio Valley, Gulf Coast

LAURA LEGERE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Sept 23, 2022

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is putting his wealth and clout into an effort to halt the expansion of petrochemical manufacturing in the Ohio Valley and two Gulf Coast states with an $85 million campaign.

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist announced Wednesday that the goal of the new Beyond Petrochemicals campaign is to “turbocharge” efforts by local community groups to block new plastics and petrochemical plants and curb pollution from existing plants in three target regions: the Ohio Valley, Louisiana and Texas. read more

S&PG Global

Platts

Shell expects new US petrochemical complex to start up by year-end: CFO

• Author Kristen Hays 
• Editor Benjamin Morse 
• Commodity Petrochemicals

Shell Chemicals expects its new petrochemical complex in southwest Pennsylvania to come online by year-end, Royal Dutch Shell CFO Jessica Uhl said Feb. 3.

She said during the company’s Q4 2021 earnings call that the company was finishing up the project in 2022, “which should hopefully be up and running by the end of the year.”

The project also will mark Shell’s re-entry into polyolefins. In 2017, CEO Ben Van Beurden said during a company earnings call that Shell has been in polyolefins “through a very difficult convoluted way in the past through a number of joint ventures,” but the new complex “will be a re-entry in a way that will sustain our position as a polyolefins player.” read more

Pennsylvania ethylene cracker plant more than 95% built as Shell prepares for operation

Shell Chemicals on Monday confirmed the company’s multi-billion dollar Potter Township complex, long considered one of the largest construction projects in the nation, is now more than 95% complete. 

The company has yet to announce a firm opening date, but crews began start-up activities early last year around the time Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden announced the chemical plant will be “fully operational” in 2022. read more

Extract from a letter to the Beaver County Times about Shell’s new Pennsylvania  ethylene cracker plant

FROM DAVE SUTTON

In great detail, the article describes how the opening of this plant will render the Beaver Valley environment untenable for human habitation.

According to the self-proclaimed experts quoted, cancer will be rampant, the air will be toxic along with the water. Even the light and noise from the plant will destroy everyone’s well-being. However, the Beaver County Emergency Services stands ready to aid at a moment’s notice. read more

The Times

Critics, defenders debate cracker plant impact as project nears completion

Pennsylvania Record

Construction crew at Shell Cracker Plant wants overtime pay, files suit

By Marian Johns | Dec 1, 2021

PITTSBURGH — Construction workers on the Pennsylvania Petrochemical Complex, known as the Shell Cracker Plant, in the western part of the state are claiming they did not receive overtime pay.

Daniel Davidson, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, filed a complaint Nov. 2 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against Brand Industrial Services Inc., BrandSafway Industries and others alleging violation of the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act. read more

The Pennsylvania Petrochemical Complex is more commonly referred to as the ‘Shell Cracker Plant’

PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

Class action lawsuit: Shell Oil Company workers allege they were not paid time-and-a-half for overtime

By Nicholas Malfitano | Oct 26, 2021

PITTSBURGH – A class action lawsuit brought on behalf of workers at Shell Oil Company alleges that the employees in question did not receive time-and-a-half compensation when they worked overtime hours.

Robert J. Merryman of Beaver Falls filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Oct. 15 versus Global Scaffold Construction Services, Inc. and Christopher Fannin, of Walker, La. read more

Sniffing out danger? That odor from the Shell cracker plant put the community on alert

Hi there, John,

There was a major smell incident near the Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver, PA recently.

Here’s one news link: Shell cracker plant confirms a sweet-smelling odor came from its Beaver County facility

Community members encountered a powerful smell. And per the article, “On Mon., Sept. 27, the PADEP issued Shell a notice of violation for the odor and fugitive dust, and it considers this an open compliance matter, meaning that it is an ongoing violation of environmental law. Each day the violations continue is considered a separation offence. The notice of violations is neither an order or any final action by the PADEP.” read more