The Uncertain Ammonia Industry, Present & Future
Layers of uncertainty cloud new ammonia markets, casting shadows over planned buildout across the US.
Beaver County Data Analysis: 2025 Update
Beaver County has seen double-digit declines in GDP & employment since Shell’s petrochemical complex was announced in 2012.
Chemical Recycling: A False Promise for the Ohio River Valley
Chemical recycling is a false solution that ignores health impacts and sidesteps technical and economic headwinds.
As the Dept. of Justice nears a settlement with Norfolk Southern, full compensation for impacted East Palestine residents is “nearly impossible.”
Nearly a year and a half since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous petrochemical materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, sparking one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, community members are calling on the Department of Justice to hold a public hearing for the agency’s proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern. According to the […]
Revisiting Pennsylvania’s Bad Bet
The Shell Polymers Monaca petrochemicals complex shadowing the banks of the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has become something of a symbol in Appalachia. To the many families nearby, it represents a constant, draconic threat, belching episodic flames, discharging headache-inducing smells, and triggering air quality warnings for dangerous particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. […]
Giving Away the Future
Billions in ITEP tax incentives have failed to grow jobs and personal incomes in Louisiana.
Pennsylvania’s Bad Bet
Faulty economic impact studies misled Pennsylvania on Shell’s economic benefits.
Updated: A Cautionary Tale of Petrochemicals from Pennsylvania
Beaver County, home to Shell Polymers Monaca, still lags Pennsylvania and the nation in key economic indicators, data show.
Measuring the ‘Cost’ of a Disaster
A lot has happened since ORVI originally published our post on the disastrous toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Cleanup efforts are still underway by the railroad operator, Norfolk Southern, but they have raised new questions about the safe transport of contaminated soil and water on public roadways to state disposal sites. New water […]
An Overview of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Hazardous Chemical Spill in East Palestine, Ohio
Information contained within this post is current as of its publication on February 23, 2023. Due to the fluid nature of the situation and the continuing release of new information, future updates will be regularly added and specified at the end of the post. What happened in East Palestine, Ohio? On February 3, 2023, […]