Monday, March 30, 2015 Staff
Hearing Set on Air Permit for Shell Cracker Plant
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a public hearing May 5 on whether to award an air quality permit to Royal Dutch Shell's proposed multi-billion dollar ethane cracker project.
The permit is an essential piece of Shell's proposal to construct the plant – estimated at $4 billion – at the former Horsehead Corp. site near Monaca, Pa. in Beaver County.
The hearing is scheduled to take place between 6 and 8 p.m. at Central Valley High School in Monaca. The DEP intends to collect input from residents in the area through in-person testimony regarding the project.
Shell has purchased the property and has started demolition at the site. The corporation continues to weigh whether to construct the plant, which would convert ethane gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale plays into ethylene and polyethylene pellets. These pellets are used to manufacture plastics, tires and many other products. The plant would produce about 1.6 million tons of pellets per year.
If completed, the plant is expected to employ as many as 10,000 tradesmen during its construction phase and employ 400 full-time permanent workers.
Pictured: Potential cracker plant site in Monaca, Pa.
Oil, Gas Production Across Shale Plays Expected to Rise in February
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Oil and natural gas production across the Utica and Marcellus shale plays is expected to increase in February, according to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. According to the EIA's monthly drilling report, oil…
New Utica Drilling Permits Increase in 2022
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The number of new drilling permits issued to oil and gas companies exploring the Utica/Point Pleasant shale formation in Columbiana County increased substantially in 2022 compared with the previous two years, records show. The Ohio Department of…
Report: Nearly $100 Billion Invested for Ohio Shale
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ohio's shale gas industry has led the nation in growth for the past four years due to large Utica and Marcellus shale deposits, according to a new report released Friday by JobsOhio and Cleveland State University. The…