Hearings set on Beaver County ethane 'cracker' plant

PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced Monday it would have a public hearing on the proposed Shell cracker plant in Beaver County.

The permit for this plant is the first environmental permit Shell submitted to the DEP for the construction of the plant that would crack ethane and manufacture polyethylene pellets for use in the plastics industry.

The public hearing set for 6 p.m. May 5 at Central Valley High School Auditorium in Monaca, Pa. will provide the public information. Representatives from Shell and the DEP will make presentations explaining the permit application and review process. There will also be a question and answer session.

The Plan Approval application was submitted to DEP on May 1, 2014, and has undergone a thorough technical review by DEP’s Bureau of Air Quality.