Shell hit with violations for chemical odor in county; investigation ongoing
POTTER TWP. — State regulators say Shell Chemicals violated air pollution laws when a strong chemical odor wafted from its ethane cracker plant into Beaver County last week.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection issued the company violations for “malodorous air contaminants” detected outside of the Potter Township construction site. Regulators heard dozens of odor-related complaints between Sept. 22 and 24, prompting an investigation.
The pungent smell – and a cloud of unconnected dust emanating from construction activities – was documented outside of Shell’s property line, DEP officials said, violating the company’s air permit and sections of the Air Pollution Control Act.
The notice “neither imposes nor waives” any enforcement, according to a letter sent to company leaders, and the open compliance issue could result in further action “if appropriate.”
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Residents in multiple Beaver County municipalities neighboring the petrochemical complex – and some as far north as Beaver Falls – observed a “nauseating” chemical smell resembling everything from antifreeze to maple syrup.
Shell on Sunday said it deployed a third-party environmental company to investigate the odor, noting the smell may have been associated with corrosion prevention activities in the plant’s cooling water tower. Those activities were completed on Thursday.
“We just want to know what we were breathing,” said Vanport Township resident Pat Barnes. The scent elicited speculation among her neighbors. "We guessed a large coolant leak, a restaurant fire, some sort of festival...I'm not even necessarily opposed to building the plant here, I just want to be informed."
Both parties are still investigating the cause and source of the odor, but Shell reports using a chemical called 3D TRASAR 3DT198 during the event.
The compound contains Sodium Tolyltriazole, according to manufacturer Nalco Company – a hazardous corrosion inhibitor designed for use in cooling towers and similar systems. If inhaled, or used improperly, it can act as an eye, skin and respiratory irritant.
During the passivation process, chemicals like Sodium Tolyltriazole are used to make industrial materials resistant to corrosion, Shell representatives said Monday.
“The health and safety of our employees, contractors and the community are our No. 1 priority,” Shell said in a Sunday statement, telling the Times the company received "one call and one email in regards to complaints.”
The water cooling tower is the only equipment on site that uses a passivation process, the company said, and last week’s activities were a “one-time, limited event."
“Anyone who lives in Pennsylvania has a constitutional right to breathe clean, fresh air without having to worry about inhaling chemicals or other byproducts from nearby industrial facilities,” said PennFuture vice president of legal and policy Abigail M. Jones. “We hope this is an isolated incident and not a harbinger of what’s ahead when the ethane cracker plant becomes operational.”
Chrissy Suttles covers business, energy and environment for the Beaver County Times and the USAToday Network. Contact her at csuttles@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ChrissySuttles.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: DEP hits Shell with violations for smell in Beaver County
