Ben Hunkler
Ben comes to ORVI from community advocacy work in the Ohio River Valley. He offers communications and design support for report releases, social media content, and the ORVI Insider.
All research:
ORVI Insider #28: Large-scale Development by Shell Hasn’t Spurred Economic Growth in Beaver County
A new research brief finds that Beaver County has fallen behind the state and the nation in nearly every measure of economic activity since the announcement of the Shell ethane cracker in 2012.
From Fracked Gas to Plastics: A Diagram of the Appalachian Ethylene Supply Chain
Why the Fracked Gas to Plastics Pipeline Has No Future in the Ohio River Valley
Four years ago, petrochemical industry boosters predicted a new wave of industry would roll across the natural gas-producing region of Appalachia, spurring billions of dollars in capital investments and a veritable economic renaissance in a place that sorely needed...
ORVI Insider #27: The End of Appalachian Petrochemical Development?
The latest news, research, and analysis from the Ohio River Valley Institute. November 16, 2021 The Appalachian petrochemical buildout is on shaky ground. After years of industry-funded speculation about an Appalachian petrochemical hub and the thousands of...
Poor Economics for Virgin Plastics
ORVI Insider #26: ‘Your County Is Getting a Bad Deal, and You Can Do Better’
The latest news, research, and analysis from the Ohio River Valley Institute. November 2, 2021 "Your county is getting a bad deal, and you can do better."That's the message Senior Researcher Sean O'Leary has been delivering to county commissioners, city...
Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro Charges Mariner East Pipeline Developer with Environmental Crimes, Reflecting Widespread Support for a Crackdown on Fracking
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged Mariner East 2 Pipeline owner Energy Transfer with a total of 48 counts of environmental crimes last Tuesday in a landmark crackdown that reflects Pennsylvania voters’ overwhelming concern about the impacts of...
ORVI Insider #25: CCUS Is the Worst Possible Way To Decarbonize the Electric System
The latest news, research, and analysis from the Ohio River Valley Institute. October 19, 2021 With tensions mounting over looming federal infrastructure spending, a technological dark horse has Congress divided on the decarbonization front. Supporters claim...