Tell Potter Township Supervisors to Reject Shell’s Conditional Use Application
Communities with good neighbors demand and respect principles of good governance when it comes to transparency, accountability and protection of the public.
This came into question on Dec. 13 when the Potter Township Board of Supervisors in Beaver County held a public hearing to consider a proposed conditional use application by Shell Chemical Appalachia for the construction of a petrochemical facility in the township.
The hearing began at 3 p.m. For the next 6 hours, Shell experts spoke in an attempt to convey that their plans met the township’s codes and ordinances for light emissions, traffic mitigation and noise levels. Media organizations widely covered this part of the meeting.
Unfortunately for the public, township supervisors kept the hearing going late into the night until 1 a.m. It was only after 11 p.m. that a panel of three independent experts delivered their assessments of the Shell application. By that time, most of the media organizations (and public) had left.
As a result, the public missed an opportunity to hear testimony that showed that Shell’s application did not contain enough information for independent experts to verify whether the proposed plant design adheres to Potter Township’s codes and ordinances for lighting, noise and traffic.
Fortunately, a video captured this segment of the public hearing. As viewers will see, all three independent experts unequivocally testified that the application lacked critical information. In addition, Shell did not have the traffic study approved and signed off by a professional engineer.
Responsible and transparent governance means that Potter Township Supervisors should reject Shell’s petition for their conditional use application.
Contact them at:
Rebecca Matsco, Chairwoman
300 Mowry Road, Monaca, PA 15061
Phone: 724-774-2884
Earl Shamp, Vice Chairman
226 Mowry Road, Monaca, PA 15061
Phone: 724-495-3749
Al Cwynar, Supervisor
112 Mowry Road, Monaca, PA 15061
Phone: 724-495-3189
