On April 6, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan released proposed standards for the chemical manufacturing sector to protect people from the hazardous air pollution emitted by more than 200 of the largest, most toxic chemical and plastic manufacturing facilities in the country with at least three located in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania plants include--

-- Croda Inc., Mill Hall, Clinton County

-- Montgomery Chem Ltd, Conshocken, Montgomery County

-- AdvanSix, Inc. Philadelphia

Shell Petrochemical Plant

On April 5, EPA issued another new proposed rule that covers the Shell Petrochemical Plant in Beaver County for public comment.  Click Here for that proposed rule.

Among other changes, this proposed rule will remove the Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction exemptions for emergency flaring and for pressure relief devices.

The Shell Petrochemical Plant has had a series of malfunctions that resulted in multiple flaring events to burn off natural gas and other flammable gases since it began start up operations last September.  Read more here.

The most recent flaring event started March 16 and has been continuous since then with Shell having to use hoses to spray the ground flare with water to cool it down.  Read more here.

Moms Clean Air Force Statement

In response to the proposal, Rachel Meyer, Ohio River Valley Coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force, released the following statement--

“Moms Clean Air Force applauds this significant and consequential move by EPA Administrator Regan. The petrochemical industry releases an extraordinary amount of toxic air pollution–and has done so for generations, with cruel disregard for the devastating impacts on communities around their facilities.

“People have paid with their health. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution since their bodies are still developing and because they breathe in more air for their size compared to adults.

“Today’s announcement is an important step in what must become a comprehensive, rigorous and long-term approach to the scourge that is the petrochemical industry. Petrochemical facilities are commonly sited in communities that are impacted by multiple pollution sources contributing to a cumulative pollution burden and an elevated risk of asthma attacks, respiratory illness, neurological problems, adverse birth outcomes, and cancer.

“EPA has a fundamental duty to hold the petrochemical industry accountable and protect the health of people impacted by toxic pollution. There is no time to waste in tackling this glaring injustice.

“Stronger protections are especially urgent in light of the extensive and well documented history of non-compliance at these chemical manufacturing facilities.

“Of the 200 largest chemical manufacturing facilities around the country that would be covered by these standards, more than 50% are currently violating one or more of our nation’s environmental laws and more than 80% of facilities have been in noncompliance with some environmental laws in the past three years.

“Moms Clean Air Force is demanding the strongest safeguards to protect all people in front line communities–especially children–including the following components:

-- Strictly enforced fenceline monitoring capable of detecting all emissions that will reach families and communities

-- Increased flare efficiency and monitoring

-- Enhanced leak detection and repair protocols utilizing the most advanced technology available

-- Removal of ALL exemptions for startup, shutdown and malfunctions

-- Robust precedent-setting community risk assessments

-- Enhanced process controls

“Moms Clean Air Force will work with EPA to achieve the most durable, powerful and enforceable protections from petrochemical pollution for everyone.”

Click Here to read the complete statement.

(Photo: March 14 start of continuous flaring at Shell Petrochemical Plant that is still going on as of April 6 caught by Breathe Project.)

Resource Links:

-- EPA Proposes To Strengthen Standards For Chemical, Polymer Plants To Reduce Cancer Risks From Air Toxics

-- EPA Proposes To Strengthen Mercury And Air Toxics Standards For Coal-Fired Power Plants

NewsClips:

-- AP: EPA Tightens Mercury Emissions Limits At Coal Power Plants

-- Reuters: U.S. Proposes Tighter Mercury, Air Toxics Standards For Coal-Fired Power Plants

-- Moms Clean Air Force: Strong Petrochemical Rules Are One Step Closer To Reality With EPA Proposal, But More Safeguards Are Needed To Protect People Living Near Facilities

-- WTAE: U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke (Coal) Works Tops Allegheny County Polluters List

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PennEnvironment Names Top 10 Industrial Pollution Sources In Allegheny County

PA Oil & Gas Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 1 to 7; Leaking Gas Well On State Game Lands #87 Fixed  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 8  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 67 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 8 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Compliance Reports

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Failed To File Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued 754 Notices Of Violation For Defective Oil & Gas Well Casing, Cementing, The Fundamental Protection Needed To Prevent Gas Migration, Groundwater & Air Contamination, Explosions  [PaEN]

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’  [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Ohio Research Confirms Health, Environmental Hazards In Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Dumped On Roads, Just Like In PA  [PaEN]

-- New University Of Chicago Medical Study Connects Natural Gas Development In PA To Real, Serious Human Health Outcomes And Should Be A Call To Action For Policy Makers - By Alison Caldwell, PhD,  University of Chicago News  [PaEN]

-- House Bill Would Expand Safety Zones Around Oil/Gas Wells, Infrastructure To Reduce Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts As Recommended By AG Shapiro’s Grand Jury Report  [PaEN]

-- Local Officials, Residents, Advocacy Groups Call On DEP To Conduct A Robust Public Participation Process For Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well Applications  [PaEN]

-- DEP Inspection Finds Two Repsol Oil & Gas Shale Gas Wells Venting Natural Gas To Atmosphere, Defective Well Casing/Cementing In Susquehanna County; Violations Continue From May 2017  [PaEN]

-- Moms Clean Air Force: Strong Proposed EPA Petrochemical Plant Rules Are One Step Closer To Reality; Shell Petrochemical Plant Covered By Separate Proposed Rule  [PaEN]

-- Homer City Coal-Fired Power Plant To Close In Indiana County; Low Price Of Natural Gas, High Price Of Coal, Regulatory Burdens, RGGI Cited As Causes; Solar Projects Waiting To Fill Gap  [PaEN]

-- PA Council Of Professional Geologists Hosts April 20 Webinar Presentation By Manager Of PA State Seismic Network - Basement Structure Of Appalachian Basin In PA  [PaEN]

-- PJM This Week Sends Penalty Assessments Of Up To $2 Billion To Electric Generators That Failed To Perform During December’s Winter Storm Elliot; Natural Gas Power Plants Had 63% Of Outages  [PaEN]

[Posted: April 6, 2023]

4/10/2023