Ohio plastics plant on indefinite hold
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical America and South Korea’s Daelim Industrial indefinitely delayed a final decision on whether to proceed with a plastics manufacturing plant in Ohio, citing economic uncertainties around the coronavirus pandemic, according to Inside Climate News.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control related to the pandemic, we are unable to promise a firm timeline for a final investment decision,” the companies said. “We pledge that we will do everything within our control to make an announcement as soon as we possibly can with the goal of bringing jobs and prosperity to the Ohio Valley.”
The developers have been planning major investments in the $5.7 billion plant, 60 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, for several years. If it’s ever completed, the facility would turn abundant ethane from fracking in the Marcellus and Utica shales into ethylene and polyethylene — basic building blocks for plastic products.
Learn more: Inside Climate News > Developers put a plastics plant in Ohio on indefinite hold, citing COVID-19 pandemic
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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.