News broke this week that Shell is considering selling some of its chemical assets across the country, including the polluting ethane cracker plant located in Beaver County, PA, which turns fossil fuels into plastic pieces that are used to make single-use products. Private equity and Middle Eastern business interests have been identified as potential buyers. 

Shell officially began operating the cracker plant in November of 2022, over a decade after the project was first announced, but the project continues to fail on its promise to bring economic growth to the region, as detailed in a 2024 report by the Ohio River Valley Institute. Within the first months of operation, the plant exceeded pollution limits, and pollution threats continue with repeated flaring that concerns residents about their air quality and subsequent health concerns.

In response, Food & Water Watch Pennsylvania State Director Megan McDonough issued the following statement:

“Shell has polluted Beaver County for nearly three years and caused irreparable harm to the economic and physical health of residents. Residents want to see this petro-chemical giant leave once and for all. We cannot let another business swoop in and pick up Shell’s dirty work. 

“This cracker plant should not have been approved in the first place, but with permit application hearings planned in the coming months, Beaver County elected officials have the opportunity to side with the facts: that the community’s health is impaired; that the cracker plant is worsening the area’s economic prosperity; and that the people simply do not want this toxic behemoth in their backyards. Beaver County residents want clean air and clean water. With this petro-chemical operation, we won’t get that. It must be shut down now.” 

Food & Water Action, the political arm of Food & Water Watch, and Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community, are hosting a series of local events against the Shell cracker plant. Moms Clean Air Force, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, and Breathe Project are also co-sponsors. The Decoding Shell’s Permits, Defending Our Future series will feature four sessions where residents will be prepped to attend public meetings and submit comments on upcoming Shell permit renewal applications. The first event begins on March 10.