Beaver County group calls on DEP for more timely reports on Shell ethane cracker air pollution

by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
August 5, 2025

Shell’s plant in Beaver County that produces plastics from Marcellus Shale gas has been hit with six air pollution violations so far this year and a watchdog group warns that nearby communities aren’t getting timely notification of the events.

The first of its kind in Pennsylvania, the Shell Polymers plant in Potter Township uses ethane, derived from natural gas, to produce polyethylene, a commonly used type of plastic. Since it started operations in 2022, the plant has been the subject of criticism from neighbors worried about air and water pollution and what they say is a lack of transparency. 

The facility, known as an ethane cracker, has amassed nearly 50 notices of violations and the six “high-priority violations” so far this year have outpaced five violations noted by state and federal regulators in all of 2024, the Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC) said in a statement Tuesday. 

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The group, which promotes awareness of health, safety and environmental impacts of gas fracking infrastructure, said the violations reveal an “ongoing pattern of environmental noncompliance,” by Shell.

It also notes the company has not been issued a formal monetary penalty since May 2023, when it was fined nearly $5 million after acknowledging it had frequently exceeded emissions limitations at its plant since October 2022. The settlement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also required Shell to pay $5 million for projects “to benefit the environment, health and quality of life of the community near the facility.”

BCMAC’s statement says the DEP has failed to post notices of the violations on its webpage for the Shell plant in a timely manner.

“Shell violated air pollution laws in a way that the federal government itself considers a ‘high priority’ but no one prioritized informing our communities,” BCMAC Executive Director Hilary Starcher-O’Toole said. “Real people live near this plant. Families. Children. People deserve transparency from the billion-dollar corporation polluting their air and from the regulators whose job it is to protect us.” 

Starcher-O’Toole said Shell and the DEP must provide real-time notifications when malfunctions and violations occur. “Anything less is negligence,” she added.

Shell did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. In an Inside Climate News article this May about bright light from gas flares at the plant disturbing neighbors, a Shell spokesperson said the company notifies the community of events at the plant through “social media, community events and public notifications.”

Hilary Flint, director communications and community engagement for BCMAC, said public notices are required for pollution events that affect drinking water, but whether there is a requirement for air pollution notifications is unclear.

“We have been advocating for timely public disclosure of any pollution events or violations associated with the Shell facility for years, and over 65,000 people have signed our petition supporting that request,” Flint said.

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DEP regional communications manager Laina Aquiline said the agency posts documents related to certain facilities, including the Shell Polymers plant, on its community page as a courtesy to the public. She added that the DEP has “no regulatory or policy obligation to do so,” but tries to share documents in a timely manner. 

Aquiline said without details, she could not comment on the specific violations in BCMAC’s statement, but the DEP has documented violations and continues to work on corrective action.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.