Gov. Tom Corbett Friday issued the following statement in response to the announcement Horsehead Corporation has extended its land-option agreement with Shell Chemical LP for a site near Monaca, Beaver County, for a period of six months.

Shell Chemical announced a land-option agreement in March 2012 with Horsehead after selecting Monaca as its preferred site for the potential construction of a multi-billion dollar, world-class petrochemical facility.

“Today’s announcement is good news for Pennsylvania. This is another step in Shell’s process of evaluating Horsehead as their preferred site for a multi-billion dollar petrochemical facility,” Corbett said. “A petrochemical facility of this size will result in 10,000 construction jobs, at least 400 direct jobs and more than 10,000 jobs created in chemical and supply chain industries.”

“This project would be the single-largest industrial investment in southwest Pennsylvania in a generation. It will develop a market for the state’s natural gas supply, helping to create new jobs and the prosperity that comes with them,” Corbett said.

“My administration, local officials and economic groups continue to work in support of Shell Chemical as it continues a deliberate evaluation of this project,” Corbett said. “We are all dedicated to ensuring, once built, that this facility is successful.”

For more information about Shell’s multi-year evaluation process, visit the Shell Appalachia webpage.

NewsClip: Shell Again Delaying Plans For Beaver Cracking Plant

7/1/2013