Cracker Plant (Pittsburgh, Aliquippa, Clairton: real estate, condo, income)

[BrianTH]

This is purely speculation, but I know that new petrochemical plants are subject to a pretty strict set of environmental regulations. Accordingly, I wouldn't be surprised if a new petrochemical plant ended up a better neighbor than an old zinc plant.

[Geeo]

I really don't think pollution is going to be a huge issue in Beaver County. It has an industrial heritage and they've been trying for years to get some industry to move in. And environmental regulations are much more stringent today than in big steel's heyday. This will have a ripple effect for the whole region, not just Beaver County.

[JimBaker488]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

Property values in the vicinity of the plant will probably plummet. As shown on the Gulf Coast - from Mobile to New Orleans through Beaumont, Port Arthur, Baytown, Houston, Texas City and all the way down to Corpus Christi - the property within a one or two mile radius of a chemical plant is worthless. New plants are built with a buffer zone of five miles. The corporate folk in Texas are probably laughing at the stupidity of Pennsylvanians.

I've got family in the Houston area, specifically the suburbs of Baytown & LaPorte near the Houston Ship Channel, and they enjoy their homes and neighborhoods where they live and are raising their familys and their property values have held solid. And the people in those refineries are making very good money. But yes of course there's a buffer immediately adjacent to plant facilities. But the R/E values in the vicinity are steady, even appreciating thanks to the employment opportunities brought to many by the plants in the vicinity.
So are you and the rest of your Keystone-Pipeline protester buddies already reving up your SUVs to head to this potential new site in PA to shut it down before it starts ?

[South Range Family]

I've been tracking this plant since last Fall, and I'm kind of disappointed. I was expecting a lot more commitment from Shell. They still seem wishy washy on building. They are talking about years of studies before they even buy the land.

It's almost like this is a negotiating ploy to get the other two States to sweeten the pot.

Chesapeake announced a cryogenic pumping station in Columbiana County Ohio, and plan to have it operational in 18 months.

Oh well, at least we have two more cracker plants to look forward to.

[SorryIMovedBack]

Probably have to ID and settle any legal or environmental issues r/t the zinc plant's contamination for the site before they agree to purchase it.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

.... Accordingly, I wouldn't be surprised if a new petrochemical plant ended up a better neighbor than an old zinc plant.

Ya know, I've been past the zinc plant hundreds of times, and I've never smelt anything...

[Clint.]

Originally Posted by greg42

There's not a lot of residential within a mile I'd say (little to almost none I think, very industrial along the river there, both sides) but within 2 you're already hitting the western edge of Beaver for sure. Maybe that western edge really is only 1 mile. But then, the zinc smelting plant has already been there for decades, so I'm not sure if it's worse than that? It could be, I suppose.

Not that the previously existing plant automatically justifies putting a different one there, but it's not as if they're suddenly plunking down a plant where there was not one before, in the middle of a place where lots of people were living.

I was glad to learn it will be (if this is where it's going to end up) located somewhere that is already developed with minimal additional industrial sprawl, since we have so many former industrial sites already (or in this case, an active one).

10,000 potential new jobs is great news. I do hope that the following residential and retail/commericial sprawl is minimal so that the undeveloped woodlands are preserved as much as possible.

Everyone might have a good idea where it is, but here are a couple maps:

[BrianTH]

Still no final decision, but the planning process is moving along:

Shell moving forward with plans for proposed petrochemical plant | TribLIVE

[Clint.]

This was probably evident all along, but here's a story about tax breaks: Officials: Billion-dollar tax break for Beaver County cracker plant will be costly

[globalburgh]

As if Shell needs a subsidy.