Possible cracker plant site in Monaca prepares for construction
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Progress can be seen at the former Horsehead complex site in Monaca, Pa., where a potential ethane cracker plant may be built by Shell Chemical LLC, reports The Business Journal.
Shell has not committed to building in Monaca yet, but the company is preparing the site for construction. Site remediation is necessary, which could take up to a year before building could take place. However, Shell executive have discussed the jobs that could be created if the plant is built.
From The Business Journal:
“The plant in Monaca, Shell executives have said, could employ between 450 and 500 full-time permanent workers. And, officials have estimated that a project of this scope could ultimately employ between 6,000 and 10,000 contract workers over the course of its construction — which could take six years or more.”
A cracker plant is in the works in Monroe County, Ohio along the Ohio River, as well as a cracker plant in Wood County, West Virginia.
Related: Ethane cracker plant proposed near Monaca, Pennsylvania
Via: The Business Journal > 3 Cracker Plant Projects Advance in Pa., Ohio, W.Va.
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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.
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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.
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