Scholarship aimed at building work force for Shell cracker
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
The Community College of Allegheny County has decided to offer free tuition to Washington County residents, as part of a scholarship program meant to build a workforce for Royal Dutch Shell’s ethane “cracker” plant in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.
The Cracker Ready Grant has made $100,000 in scholarships available for students to either receive a one-year mechatronics certificate or go through a commercial driver’s license program. Through PNC Charitable Trusts, the Remmel Foundation is funding the grant.
As Shell builds its petrochemical facility, commercial drivers will be needed to move materials to and from the site during construction. Once the cracker is open, it will need people with mechatronics knowledge.
Learn more: Pittsburgh Business Times > Filling the gap: CCAC offers mechatronics, CDL scholarships to Washington County residents
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.