A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid catastrophic climate change for current and future generations. Sea level rise, more dangerous storms, major flooding, and extreme heat all threaten the lives of millions of people, especially in cities like Philadelphia. All levels of government need to work to lower emissions now, especially methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas and the main component of “natural” (fossil) gas. Methane leaks at every step of the gas supply chain – from extraction to processing to transportation and storage. Once it’s in the atmosphere, methane traps heat up to 86 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years. Once you burn methane, carbon dioxide and other hazardous pollutants are released into the air.
Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) is owned by the City of Philadelphia, and the city can’t reach its climate goals without ending PGW’s use of fossil gas. Every time a new building is fitted with gas hook-ups or new gas heaters, Philadelphia’s climate goals become less attainable, and the city is locked into decades more fossil gas dependence. The future is in renewable energy, and PGW must evolve into a sustainable energy utility that no longer uses fossil gas.
PGW must develop into an entity that offers a variety of renewable energy and energy-saving technologies related to home heating, water heating, and electricity generation, and it needs to start now. We need your help today to make sure Philadelphia and PGW invest in the future with a real plan to get off fossil fuels now.
Donate Now!What Is the Council Asking Philadelphia and PGW To Do to Meet the City’s Climate Goals?
No More New Industrial Gas Infrastructure
PGW must immediately end any plans to expand industrial gas-related facilities in Philadelphia, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants designed to chill and store gas ultimately for export to the highest bidder on overseas markets.
Ban Gas Hook-Ups In New Commercial Buildings
Constructing new buildings that rely on electricity instead of fossil gas needs to be the standard to avoid locking the city into reliance on fossil gas for decades. Electrification of previously fossil fuel appliances is the simplest, cleanest, and cheapest way to cut pollution from our buildings.
Halt Plans to Switch to New Gas Equipment (heaters) in Existing Buildings
Philadelphia will never meet its climate goals if existing commercial customers switch to heaters that run on fossil gas. Amtrak and Independence National Park should halt plans to install new gas boilers and instead choose a non-fossil fuel heating source.
Make a Plan to Transition PGW To All Renewable Energy
Right now, PGW and the City need to develop a real plan with pathways and a timeline for getting off fossil gas, including exploring how PGW could become a utility that offers a variety of renewable energy, such as geothermal, or energy-saving technologies related to heating, water heating, and even electricity generation.
Get PGW Completely Off Fossil Fuels By 2035
PGW must get off fossil fuels completely by 2035 to mitigate its long-term effect on the climate crisis.
Ending PGW’s reliance on the oil and gas industry is critical and Philadelphia residents can’t afford to wait for PGW to do it on its own. Your support means the Council can ramp up a new campaign to apply pressure and make sure the City and PGW make smart choices about Philadelphia’s future.
Donate Now!In advance of imminent EPA proposed rules, organizations call for new carbon pollution standards for new, existing power plants
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, a coalition of 23 clean energy, environmental justice, and climate action organizations working in Pennsylvania sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling on the agency to accelerate efforts to cut pollution in the nation’s electricity sector and establish robust carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants.
The letter calls for the EPA to take three key steps:
- Set ambitious carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants under sections 111(b) and 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.
- Set other EPA pollution standards that reduce conventional air and water pollutants and improve public health.
- Implement the Inflation Reduction Act effectively, efficiently, and equitably.
The electricity sector represents America’s second-largest source of carbon pollution and the Pennsylvania power sector is currently the third-highest polluting in the country, emitting nearly 80 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021 alone. Moreover, in 2020, Pennsylvania recorded the highest amount of premature deaths per capita caused by air pollution in the entire country.
Cutting climate pollution from the power sector would be a linchpin for cleaning up pollution across all economic sectors. Success in decarbonizing buildings and transportation by electrification is dependent on the electricity cars and homes run on being clean energy.
The EPA is currently falling behind schedule on seven of ten power sector rules, including carbon standards mentioned in the letter. Absent these actions, modeling shows the administration will fall short of President Biden’s climate targets. As the largest near-term opportunity to reduce emissions, bold and swift action in the power sector is necessary to ensure healthier communities, lower energy costs, more good jobs, and a sustainable climate, for Pennsylvania and the whole nation.
Read the full letter here.
“Pennsylvania families and communities need the EPA to move further and faster to reduce carbon pollution and deadly soot, smog, and mercury from our power plants. Pennsylvania is one of the largest electricity producers in the country, and two-thirds of our power is still generated by fossil fuels,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council. “President Biden entered office with a bold commitment to clean up the power sector, and now is the time to act.”
“Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light is happy to join alongside our partners in delivering this letter to the Environmental Protection Agency. The sacredness of people and planet is a value held in common across many religious traditions. Pennsylvanians of faith want to see bold climate action from the Biden administration,” said Katie Ruth, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light. “Cutting pollution in the power sector and expanding clean energy efforts is an urgent and moral necessity. The commitments in the Inflation Reduction Act are a step in the right direction, but not enough. It is critical that its implementation is administered well and accessible to the communities who need it most. This is an opportunity to protect our communities, prioritize our health, and preserve a livable planet.”
“Rural communities in Pennsylvania have been burdened with polluted air and water for decades,” shared Ethan Story, Advocacy Director with the Center for Coalfield Justice. “The Biden administration has a generational opportunity to reduce climate pollution from power plants, enhance public health, reduce energy costs for consumers, and help create a more just transition for underserved communities. We need this Administration to act now.”
“It’s time for the Biden administration to take action to cut pollution in the power sector and deliver on their clean energy agenda. This letter sends a clear message to the administration that bold action in the fight against the devastating effects of climate change is popular and supported in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Justin Balik, Evergreen Action state program director. “The Biden administration has an opportunity to reduce health and financial impacts on consumers, as well as support the creation of a just, thriving and inclusive clean energy economy.”
The letter’s signatories represent the wide range of organizations working in the state, including national environmental organizations, environmental justice advocates, faith-based groups, the public health community, outdoor conservation organizations, clean energy campaigners, state and local groups, and more — coming together to combat the effects of climate change on the health and safety of Pennsylvania communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alex Bomstein, Legal Director, Clean Air Council, abomstein@cleanair.org
Jessica O’Neill, Senior Attorney, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, oneill@pennfuture.org; Leigh Martinez, Director of Communications, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, martinez@pennfuture.org,
Robert Ukeiley, Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity, 720-496-8568, rukeiley@biologicaldiversity.org
Renovo Energy Center Will Not Be Built
After many years of community opposition and nearly two years of litigation, the residents of Renovo can breathe easier.
Today, the Bechtel Corporation announced that it is withdrawing its plan to develop a fracked gas-fired power plant at the former rail yard in Renovo Borough, Clinton County.
In 2021, Clean Air Council, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), and the Center for Biological Diversity lodged their appeal of the DEP air quality permit for the Renovo Energy Center, which would have been built just feet away from the homes and businesses of the environmental justice community of Renovo, in North Central Pennsylvania. The groups objected to the permit because it allows illegal levels of air pollution, ignored environmental justice concerns and the health costs to society in issuing the permit, and for several other deficiencies spelled out in the Notice of Appeal.
In August 2022, the environmental groups won some of their challenges to the permit before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. The Board granted partial summary judgment on the issues of the illegal sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds limits in the permits. That means that the environmental groups proved, without needing a trial, that DEP broke the law when it allowed the power plant to emit such high pollution levels. High levels of sulfur dioxide can cause health problems, including hurting lung function, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. Volatile organic compound pollution may irritate people’s eyes, nose, and throat, increase cancer risk, and damage the central nervous system. The Board’s opinion is here.
Now, the developers behind the facility have announced that they have chosen to end their attempts to build this fracked gas plant.
“Bechtel’s decision to cancel this dangerous plant is a crucial win for the health, welfare and safety of the residents of Renovo, who have been peddled lies about this project’s purported benefits and illegally cut out of the permitting process,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council. “Pennsylvania’s economic growth depends on a clean energy future and will not be achieved by pumping millions of tons of air pollution every year right into the heart of communities like Renovo.”
“Our lawsuit was about protecting Pennsylvania and this environmental justice community from the additional pollution burdens that this plant would have imposed,” said Jessica O’Neill, Senior Attorney at PennFuture. “It is a win for Renovo and for all Pennsylvanians when we realize that the fracked gas industry doesn’t make sense – from an economic, energy, or environmental health perspective. We will continue to push back against facilities and industries that threaten the health of our communities, our workers, and the sustainable energy future that Pennsylvanians want and that our children deserve.”
“The cancellation of this proposed fracked gas burning power plant helps move us forward to a future powered by wind and solar power,” said Robert Ukeiley, an environmental health lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Every step away from fossil fuels is a step toward averting both climate disaster and the biodiversity crisis.”
“As a great-grandparent, I’m grateful that this power plant didn’t come to fruition because we are now able to protect what is most important – the health of our children,” said Sue Cannon, co-founder of Renovo Residents for a Healthy Environment. “I opposed the power plant because I was thinking about the children in this community, especially my great-grandchild, and what the pollution would do to their health. After all, children are our most precious assets.”
“This decision gives us great hope for the future of Renovo’s health, quality of life, and future prosperity,” said Maureen Ruhl, co-founder of Renovo Residents for a Healthy Environment. “We look forward to building Renovo’s future with a vision based on tourism, our natural resources, recreation, and our railroad history – all of which we hold dear.”
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Clean Air Council is a member-supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to a healthy environment. The Council has offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington, and works through public education, community advocacy, and government oversight to ensure enforcement of environmental laws. For more information, please visit www.cleanair.org.
PennFuture is leading the transition to a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania and beyond. We are protecting our air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations. Visit www.pennfuture.org.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Philadelphia has an opportunity to elect a new mayor in 2023 who will enact policy and oversee infrastructure projects that have a real impact on walking and rolling in the city. Right now, hundreds of miles of sidewalks are in poor condition, and pedestrians across Philadelphia are forced to risk injury because of closed sidewalks and road design that prioritizes cars over people.
The Council’s volunteer pedestrian advocacy group Feet First Philly has fought to make Philadelphia safer for pedestrians through advocacy, events, and information for over 10 years.
Earlier this year, Feet First Philly sent a questionnaire to all the 2023 Philadelphia Mayoral Primary candidates to find out more about their platforms on mobility issues including parking, ADA accessibility, safe routes to school, and Vision Zero. Six candidates responded with details on how they plan to address mobility issues for pedestrians.
Read the candidates’ responses here, and learn more about what the candidates will do to make Philadelphia safer for pedestrians.
KeyState to Zero is a proposed industrial facility that would take fracked gas and turn it into hydrogen and other chemicals such as diesel exhaust fluid and ammonia, which would in turn be used to make fertilizers or be sold as fuel. The project, the idea of Pennsylvania-based businessman and KeyState CEO, Benjamin “Perry” Babb, has garnered attention as the first facility in Pennsylvania that would theoretically combine fracked gas drilling with onsite carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). The 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $8 billion to develop technologies and projects based on hydrogen—including the establishment of 6 to 10 regional hydrogen hubs. Babb is suggesting that KeyState to Zero could help attract federal dollars to Pennsylvania to establish one such hub.
The proposed site is undeveloped forest in Clinton County. Methane gas fracked on site would be converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The hydrogen would then be combined with nitrogen to manufacture ammonia and urea to be used as fertilizers. Carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the process would theoretically be sequestered (buried) underground on site. Babb has promised the facility will help lower carbon emissions and spur job growth.
The idea of “clean” hydrogen has become popular in recent years among policymakers and the fossil fuel industry. However, hydrogen can be produced in multiple ways with different feedstocks, each with different climate impacts. The “cleanest” form is “green” hydrogen, which uses renewable energy to split water (H2O) molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Green hydrogen is currently only 1% of the global hydrogen supply. Gray hydrogen, which accounts for 95% of the global hydrogen supply, is created by using steam created by fossil fuels to break apart methane, another fossil fuel.
“Blue” hydrogen, the proposed product of KeyState to Zero, is made from methane gas, only with the added step of storing some excess CO2 underground. Storing carbon underground has yet to be proven long-term, making “blue” hydrogen purely theoretical.
Hydrogen is also the lightest element and extremely leaky. Research indicates that fugitive hydrogen emissions can be 11 times more potent than CO2 at heating the atmosphere over a 100-year period. To date, Perry Babb has offered no projections on emissions for the project. There are only two commercial-scale blue hydrogen facilities in operation in North America. One facility in Texas reported 2.4 million metric tons of emissions in 2020, mostly CO2.
The proposed site in Clinton County is part of the PA Wilds, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to preserve areas of tourism and recreation. According to proposals, products would be transported by rail and truck. However, as there are few developed roads and limited rail, developers will have to expand roads and rail to allow for construction and access to the site. DCNR has asserted the need for extensive evaluation of potential sequestration sites, to account for potential leaks or groundwater contamination. To date, there have been zero test wells drilled in Pennsylvania to determine the viability of underground carbon storage.
There are far too many unknowns with the KeyState to Zero project. The combination of blue hydrogen and fertilizer manufacturing has not been shown to be commercially viable or effective at reducing environmental harm.
The Council is following news about the project and its developments in collaboration with partner organizations. The Council is also developing a factsheet to share with the public and public officials on the need to closely scrutinize this facility and separate the truths about it from the fictions.
For more information about this proposed facility, contact Susan Sunhee Volz, Advocacy Coordinator, at svolz@cleanair.org
Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. For many Americans, giving up driving entirely is not an option, but driving less is much more doable and an effective way to reduce air pollution. In Philadelphia, emissions from cars and trucks are also responsible for the creation of ozone (smog) further impacting the health and welfare of local residents. So the Council supports offering a financial benefit to drivers willing to drive less. The Council recently joined a new program to educate the public on pay-per-mile auto insurance, and how it is an effective tool to reduce pollution.
Pay-Per-Mile insurance benefits Clean Air Council in two ways:
- It advances the Council’s mission because with PPM insurance drivers are rewarded for driving less which reduces traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and smog
- Signing up for PPM also provides financial support to the Council for its transportation work.
Pay-per-mile auto insurance incentivizes car owners to drive less and can lower their car insurance costs because the driver/car owner is charged based on how much they actually drive. The less miles you drive, the less you spend on car insurance
Car insurance costs are generally fixed so there is no financial incentive to change driving behavior. Pay-per-mile auto insurance changes the driver’s mindset and gets them thinking about driving less and saving more money.
See the difference between a Conventional Policy and a Pay-Per-Mile Policy:
If you already drive less than the US average of 13,500 miles per year (pre-pandemic) then a pay-per-mile policy could be right for you. In addition, people who don’t own a car, but rent or share them, may want to consider non-owner coverage, offered by some insurers. Such coverage, when it includes medical and related benefits, is popular with pedestrians and cyclists, some of whom don’t have driver’s licenses.
Click here to learn more about mileage based insurance.
Click here to connect for a quote
Single occupancy vehicle (SOVs) trips create road congestion and cars are responsible for a tremendous amount of carbon emissions. Using alternative transportation methods is an important way to reduce climate impacts, and an effective way to improve air quality in the Philadelphia region. The Council’s transportation team works to address the impacts of emissions from single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) by making it easy for employers to adopt programs that encourage their employees to commute (and travel in general) in sustainable ways.
Commuter benefit programs help employees save on the cost of taking public transportation, and the Council has worked for years to give people as many options as possible to reduce the environmental impacts from transportation. In the past year SEPTA launched a new, employer-based, all access pass called SEPTA Key Advantage, which is a new option for employers to incentivize their employees to travel sustainably, and the Council’s transportation team is working to encourage eligible workplaces to offer this benefit to their employees.
Through this program, employers offer all access monthly SEPTA passes as a benefit to employees at a heavily discounted rate, which gives employees a great incentive to use public transit. The program was first eligible to employers with 500+ employees, but now SEPTA has expanded the program eligibility to mid-sized employers with 50 to 499 employees (workplaces with fewer than 50 employees will be eligible for the program in May). The large discount is possible because this program is not opt-in – all employees who are eligible must be enrolled – meaning even more potential new transit riders!
SEPTA passes can help facilitate back to office plans, and be used as a hiring and retention tool – because employees can use the passes for all the public transit trips they take, not just their commute to work. You can learn more about the program here.
This program’s rollout coincides with Philadelphia’s Employer Commuter Transit Benefit Ordinance that took effect earlier this year, requiring that employers in Philadelphia with 50+ employees offer some kind of transit benefit. While there are other options that fulfill this requirement – for instance pre-tax transit benefits – SEPTA Key Advantage is one of the most exciting, because of how it will lead to expanded public transit ridership, all while making life more affordable for people who already rely on public transit.
Currently the Council’s Transportation team is working with employers to get them to adopt SEPTA Key Advantage (as well as other employee transportation benefits programs). If you work for an employer that qualifies (workplace with 50+ employees) and would benefit from becoming part of SEPTA Key Advantage you can fill out a quick interest form here.
If you want to learn more about the program or would like to have the Council’s help advocating for Key Advantage to be implemented at your workplace please reach out to Maya Frydman, Transportation Outreach Coordinator at mfrydman@cleanair.org
Climate change is already having a serious impact on residents and ecosystems in the greater Philadelphia region. Widespread flooding from major storms such as Isaiah and Ida, and the threat of urban heat islands throughout the summer months are already impacting our communities. This area is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) 2021 Climate Impacts Assessment concluded that Southeast Pennsylvania will experience the most extreme increases in precipitation and sea level rise in the state.
One of the oldest, largest, and most polluted industrial corridors in the United States is in the greater Philadelphia area from the former Philadelphia refinery in Southwest Philadelphia, down the I-95 corridor to Marcus Hook, including large industrial facilities in Trainer and Chester, PA. Climate change is already having an impact on those communities near industrial sites. For instance, the area around the former Sunoco/PES refinery in particular faces major flooding events and sea level rise caused by climate change, and the impact is exacerbated by lax stormwater management, particularly at industrial facilities.
To continue and expand the Council’s efforts to protect residents impacted by the cleanup and proposed redevelopment of the former Philadelphia refinery, the Council and local partners are launching a two-year Climate Resilient Communities Project (CRCP) to improve Southeast Pennsylvania’s climate resiliency. The Council is initiating the CRCP to better understand and address climate change threats to communities near polluting industrial sites along the Delaware River in S/W Philadelphia and Delaware County. Our region needs new and innovative plans, policies, and projects that support thriving communities that are well-positioned to deal with increased flooding, extreme heat, and severe storms.
The CRCP will start by modeling potential climate impacts to our region and invite impacted residents to use the findings to identify community-based green infrastructure projects, and advocate for policy changes to protect communities from flooding, heat impacts, and hazardous pollution from industrial sites throughout the impacted area.
This project offers residents a unique opportunity to create and implement site-specific community projects that protect communities vulnerable to flooding and pollution impacts. Such “green infrastructure” projects will provide better stormwater management and could include tree plantings, community gardens, upgrades to existing trails and parks, or rain gardens. The projects implemented in the focus communities will be guided by the visioning of residents who live there and the unique climate impacts that those communities face.
The Council is committed to amplifying the voices and concerns of impacted residents, advocating for environmental justice and climate justice through policy changes, and supporting local efforts to improve public health and quality of life. In order to effectively create and advocate for policies and plans that will improve health and living conditions in Delaware County and Philadelphia, the Council needs to hear from local residents and groups about how their communities are impacted by climate change and about their hopes for the future of their community. Potential community engagement opportunities for the CRCP will likely include community surveys, community discussions and/or focus groups, community workshops, and an advisory panel that will provide input on the project throughout the process. The Council looks forward to speaking with community members about their concerns and desires for the future.
The CRCP builds upon the Council’s previous work around the former Philadelphia refinery clean up and redevelopment. One of the Council’s most significant recent victories related to this work came last summer when EPA, DEP, and the Army Corp of Engineers all individually rejected a required “Fate and Transport Model” report from Sunoco’s land remediation subsidiary, Evergreen Resources Group, regarding how soil and groundwater contamination will move at the former refinery over the next 30 years. The agencies agreed with a number of concerns the Council had raised in its extensive technical comments, including how Evergreen’s model ignored how increased sea level rise, precipitation, new development, and raising portions of the site could affect flooding and storm water. Clean Air Council staff also supported affected residents in submitting 85 official comments raising these concerns about Evergreen’s proposed model.
The Council is closely monitoring and will continue to engage the public on land cleanups, redevelopment projects, or new or expanded industrial projects in the Philadelphia region to ensure residents are aware of and can participate in decisions on projects that may affect pollution from legacy industrial sites in already flood-prone areas.
For more information on Clean Air Council’s climate resiliency work in Southeast PA, contact Russell Zerbo at rzerbo@cleanair.org
“What can we really do about it?” is a phrase often heard from community members concerned about pollution and its impact on their health and welfare.. It is an awful feeling full of despair that suggests little hope. In Beaver County, PA, Clean Air Council is working with residents who feel this way but are determined to make sure their concerns about the Shell plastics plant, a major source of air pollution in their community, are fully addressed.
Clean Air Council’s attorneys, engineers, and organizers have watchdogged the Shell Polymer Plant, a newly built, petrochemical plant that spans 386 acres in Beaver County, for years. The Council’s work includes community organizing, providing residents with air monitoring equipment, and legal action. Yet, as the Plant came into full operation within the last few months, residents of the Pittsburgh region found out that the Shell Plant emitted almost 12 months’ worth of volatile organic chemicals (a group of harmful air pollutants) in one month.
The incident started in September 2022, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sent a Notice of Violation letter to Shell in December. Ideally, DEP is the responsible agency that enforces Shell’s permits, and which sets out Shell’s air emissions limits. DEP sent Shell a Notice of Violation, but that is only a notice; DEP has not penalized the company to date. So without any government action at this point, the question again becomes “What can we really do about it?”
On February 2, 2023, the Council, along with its partner, Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), used the federal Clean Air Act’s “citizen suit” provision and sent Shell a notice of intent to sue. The Clean Air Act allows “any person” to enforce compliance with air quality permits through civil lawsuits. However, this is only allowed if a government agency like DEP does not “diligently prosecute” any violations.
With the violations at the Shell Plant only continuing and DEP remaining quiet on the legal front, the Council and EIP wasted little time in taking legal action against Shell. As part of the fact-finding process, the Council and EIP worked with several community organizations in the Beaver County area. These groups vigilantly monitor the activities at the Plant, report any incidents, and connect the Council and EIP with impacted residents. Resident engagement is invaluable.
It is fortunate that the Clean Air Act gives residents the power to force companies to comply with the law. The recent reports, some from Shell itself, of significant amounts of emissions, prolonged flaring, and release of “visible emissions,” raises the question of whether Shell can properly manage the Plant at all. This is exactly why Clean Air Council is preparing to bring this suit to compel environmental compliance and protect public health. So when asking “what can we really do about it?” there is in fact plenty that can be done to ensure Shell is held accountable to the law.
Pittsburgh, PA — A pair of environmental organizations today sent a letter to Pennsylvania urging the state to temporarily halt operations at a Shell plastics chemical plant northwest of Pittsburgh that has repeatedly violated air pollution limits and recently released plumes of black smoke for several hours.
Clean Air Council and the Environmental Integrity Project asked the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to temporarily halt operations of the Shell Polymers Monaca plant in Beaver County until the company can demonstrate it can operate in compliance with pollution control laws.
The two groups also today filed a notice of intent to sue Shell for violating the chemical plant’s 12-month permit limit on nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to asthma attacks, lung disease, and (in the environment) smog and acid rain. This is the second notice from the groups in three weeks: On February 2, the organizations sent a notice to Shell for other violations of the plant’s air permit, including a 12-month limit on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which also contribute to smog and health problems, and a prohibition on certain “visible emissions,” including black smoke from flares.
Under the federal Clean Air Act, plaintiffs must send notices of intent to sue at least 60 days before filing a complaint in federal court.
“DEP must act quickly to stop Shell’s ongoing violations of pollution limits that are meant to protect public health” said Sarah Kula, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project. “Since the plant has come online, Shell has struggled to meet its permit limits, and DEP needs to order a pause to operations until Shell can comply with the law.”
“We will continue to hold Shell accountable as long as they continue to violate the law,” said Joseph Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director and Chief Counsel. “The health and environmental risks that come with pollution exceedances can harm communities and the region for generations to come. DEP must put the plant on hold until Shell can get its act together.”
On Monday, the Shell plant’s flare released large amounts of black smoke over the course of several hours. BreatheCam.org footage of the February 13th event can be found here. Plants often use these flaring events to burn off chemicals rather than vent directly into the atmosphere, but Shell’s permit does not allow the kind of visible emissions that occurred on Monday. When a flare is not operating properly, it can release dangerous air pollution, including fine particulate matter, benzene, hexane, formaldehyde, mercury, arsenic, and other organic hazardous air pollutants.
In 2022, Shell emitted 346 tons of NOx, which exceeded its permitted annual NOx emissions (328.8 tons of NOx in a 12-month period). From August to December 2022 alone, the plant emitted 310 tons of NOx – nearly reaching the 12-month limit during this five month period.
For a copy of the letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, click here. For the most recent notice of intent to sue with exhibits, click here.