Pennsylvania has finalized guidelines on how it will allocate $5mn paid by Shell for air pollution emitted during the start-up of its new petrochemical plant in Beaver County.
The $5mn is available for projects that provide environmental, health, or quality of life benefits to Beaver County residents, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said. At least one project must provide regular air quality testing in the vicinity surrounding Shell's 1.6mn metric tonne/yr polyethylene plant and ethane cracker in Monaca, Beaver County.
Shell in May reached a consent agreement with DEP over air pollution from the plant, agreeing to pay a $4.935mn civic penalty and $5mn for community environmental projects.
DEP cited Shell for flaring violations, odor violations from its wastewater plant and other violations from July 2022 through April 2023.
The company in May restarted production at the Monaca facility following a three-month suspension to make repairs aimed at reducing future emissions. Shell has installed 20 passive air monitoring systems around the plant to monitor the site for emissions of concern, including benzene, butadiene, and toluene.
The company will pay monthly civic penalties for the rest of 2023 for any other air pollution violations, according to the DEP.
