Behind the story: How we cracked the tale of Beaver County's Shell plant
Lobbyists for years have inundated Pennsylvanians with dramatic, inconsistent speculations about the economic and environmental influence of Shell’s $6 billion petrochemical complex.
Some of those reports reveal questionable metrics or sacrifice key information to fit a particular narrative – either justifying or condemning Shell’s $1.7 billion in state tax credits.
Big decision:With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go?
As Beaver Countians get ready for the region’s first petrochemical plant to go online this summer, The Beaver County Times wanted to help residents cut through the noise with earnest storytelling and experienced, exclusive voices.
“With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go?:” is the result of months of research, three dozen interviews and an unabated dedication to southwestern Pennsylvania readers.
Times business and energy reporter Chrissy Suttles traveled 500 miles to Grundy County, Illinois, home to one of the largest petrochemical plants in the Midwest. While not a perfect comparison, LyondellBasell’s facility – like Shell’s – is one of the few of its kind outside of the Gulf Coast.
What’s it like living near one of these plants? Three days of door knocking and cold calling in rain-soaked Morris, Illinois, yielded some answers.
One resident, Pat Anderson, shared his experience living just minutes from LyondellBasell’s site. Anderson, in his living room, combed through his “go-bag” prepared after a 2011 evacuation at the facility. He had blunt advice for Beaver County.
Plant safety:Shell safety team prepares for summer cracker plant opening
Some researchers say Shell's economic payoff is so far “underwhelming,” but many are still certain the county will grow thanks to the company’s investment. They may be right, at least according to Grundy County economic development liaisons, who noted the rural county did see a bump in energy/manufacturing jobs and population post-LyondellBasell.
But Shell’s arrival in Beaver County has already prompted some to make life-changing decisions. Lifelong homeowners have fled, four of whom spoke with The Times.
“(Beaver County) traded the health and well-being of members of the community for what they believe is going to be some kind of boon on the industrial and economical side,” said former resident Christy Begley.
Featuring visuals from Columbus Dispatch photojournalist and drone pilot Doral Chenoweth and story design from the USA Today Network’s storytelling studio, The Times offers readers an immersive, nuanced perspective of petrochemicals in Appalachia.
It’s just one of many more to come.
Stay informed: Download the Times app at https://app.adjust.com/tj0idhm?fallback=https%3A%2F%2Fcm.timesonline.com%2Fsubscriberguide%2F%23apps.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: How we cracked the tale of Beaver County's Shell plant
