Shell agrees to pay Pennsylvania $10M for exceeding emissions limits at cracker plant
Friday, May 26, 2023
Shell has agreed to pay $10 million to Pennsylvania for exceeding emissions limits at its Beaver County cracker plant, according to NBC News.
The sum Shell has agreed to pay includes a nearly $5 million civil penalty and another $5 million to fund local environmental projects.
The massive plastics plant heats ethane and “cracks” it under high pressure into ethylene to produce polyethylene pellets, which are used to make plastic.
When the plant went online in November it had an interim permit that allows it to emit a yearly total of 516 tons of “volatile organic compounds.” State records show that before operations even began, Shell had exceeded its 12-month VOC emissions ceiling.
Learn more: NBC News > Months after residents sound the alarm, Pennsylvania ‘cracks’ down on Shell plant
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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.