Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County set to open soon

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — The Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County is set to open any time now, bringing a close to a decade’s worth of preparation and construction, but not everyone is happy to see the plant go online.

“We’re concerned because we’ve got to live here,” Bob Schmeltzer, a self-identified environmentalist said.

He’s been studying the issue for more than a decade.

“I think the people that are working at the plant and in Vanport, Beaver, Industry, all these little communities around the plant, they’re going to be affected by this,” he said.

Schmetzer is part of a group called “Eyes on Shell.” It’s a watchdog group founded in 2021 to do what the name suggests – monitor the ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.

“Do you smell something? Here’s the number to call. Do you hear something? Is it real noisy? Here’s the number to call. This ‘Eyes on Shell,’ we’ve done the footwork.”

The group aims to be more than a center for information, but gatherers, too.

“We’re also doing baselines on air around here. We have a bucket brigade.”

They meet over Zoom once a month. Wednesday evening’s meeting focused on, among other things, reporting concerns to the right people.

“Tonight, we are taking a big step forward. We are launching our ‘Eyes on Shell’ watchdog team,” one member said during the meeting.

“We want to hold Shell accountable. They said they want to be the good neighbor. They want to know what’s going on and we tell them,” Schmetzer said.

Meanwhile, some Beaver County businesses say construction fueled sales with workers eating at their restaurants. It also provided 8,000 jobs during construction and will have around 600 permanent jobs. A study by the Robert Morris University showed the economic impact could be up to $846 million in wages, benefits and spending in the county.

If you are interested in learning more about the group, this link will take you to its website. Eyes on Shell will next meet August 3.

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