The American Chemistry Council (ACC) responded to the recent unanimous vote by the township of Potter, Pennsylvania, approving a conditional-use permit that will allow Royal Dutch Shell to move forward with construction of a major petrochemical complex near Pittsburgh.
"We applaud local Pennsylvania officials for their vote of confidence in Shell's project, which has exciting potential to help make the region a hub of manufacturing activity and job creation," said Cal Dooley, ACC president and CEO. "Thanks to abundant supplies of natural gas, the U. S. chemical industry is investing in new facilities and expanded production capacity, which tends to attract downstream industries that rely on petrochemical products. Shell's pioneering project -- the first of its kind outside the Gulf Coast -- could be the cornerstone for regional economic growth for decades to come."
Shell's complex will use low-cost ethane from shale gas producers in the Marcellus and Utica basins to produce polyethylene.