Questions and Answers
Learn more about the Shell Pennsylvania Chemicals/Shell Polymers Monaca petrochemical facility in Monaca, PA. The facility commenced operations in 2022 with production of polyethylene.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the plant located in Monaca?
The facility is located within 700 miles of 70% of our customer base and is close to state and interstate highways, the Ohio River, rail lines and Pittsburgh International Airport.
How large is your site?
The Shell Polymers Monaca site is 386 acres.
We live directly across the river from the plant. We are concerned about noise and safety. Also, will the plant be expanding across the river at all?
Compliance with regulatory and safety standards is a top priority for us, and there are a number of measures we undertake to achieve this goal. The operating noise level is subject to the regulatory limit specified by our home municipality of Potter Township for operational activity. During construction, we partnered with noise monitoring experts who placed equipment within the surrounding communities to provide insight and feedback on the efficacy of our noise mitigations on site. We are required to maintain an operational level of 65db at our nearest receptors for plant operations. The plant has no plans for expansion across the river as part of our operating footprint currently.
Will you commit to a zero-leak pellet policy? What do we do if we find pellets in the area? Who can we alert?
Our goal is to achieve a zero-leak pellet policy. We also participate in an industry program called Operation Clean Sweep
What measures are being taken to ensure water contamination will not take place in the community?
In addition to our water permit and commitment to Operation Clean Sweep (zero pellet loss program), we conduct visual site monitoring and river outfall monitoring. The river outfall carries all of our water on site that has been treated prior to release.
How does Shell Polymers Monaca mitigate light pollution?
We consulted with the community and designed our lighting schematic to meet occupational safety standards while incorporating community feedback. We submitted our proposed lighting plan with our conditional use application in 2016 to Potter Township.
How will Shell Polymers Monaca communicate to the public?
The Shell Polymers Monaca website is the primary source of information about the plant and operations.
In the event an unforeseen incident on site, the Beaver County Emergency Services would be contacted as necessary, and they would issue a mass notification reverse 911 alert to the community if necessary.
You can always contact Shell Polymers Monaca here if you have any questions.
Where can I find more information on your Air and Water permits?
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has a website dedicated to our facility featuring press releases, permit approvals and accompanying information.
Will there be training for residents in how to understand the Fenceline Monitoring dashboard being created by Shell?
The dashboard interface is designed to be straightforward and user friendly. The website has a documents page to facilitate understanding how to read and understanding the data posted.
What are the potential emissions monitored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection?
All projected emission levels may be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website for our plant.
Do you test air quality?
All sources onsite are monitored either continuously (Continuous Air Monitoring Systems) or through testing and sampling. We continuously monitor our flare emissions and our stack emissions furnaces and cogeneration units.
Other sources such as stacks are tested for emission data using specialized probes and other sampling equipment.
Other sources are monitored using specialized equipment from potential leakage points such as valves and flanges through our Leak Detection and Repair program.
Passive Air Monitoring Stations collect sample data from the facility perimeter at the fence line.
The DEP also maintains a sampling station near the Beaver Valley Mall close to the site.
How often is the air monitoring data uploaded?
Fenceline monitoring data are posted on the Shell Polymers Monaca website every two weeks. Passive air monitoring began proactively in March of 2022. The monitors are located along the perimeter of our fenceline in both downwind and upwind directions.
What does flaring on the site mean to residents living around the plant?
You may notice a pilot light in our elevated flare and ground flares. We don’t anticipate flaring to be a regular occurrence and take steps to minimize inconvenience to the community and interruptions in our operations with flaring activity. Please note if you do see flaring on occasion, it is a safety mechanism designed to ensure continued safe operation of the facility. Flares are a means of destructing hydrocarbons at up to 99% destruction efficiency.
Isn’t there a better solution than flaring? It’s a waste of the gas and bad for the environment.
Flaring is an important safety device and also serves as the single most effective device to reduce emissions through the entire site. Most process streams are routed to our ground flare and thermal oxidizers and this process reduces emissions with a minimum of 98+% efficiency. The elevated flare is also used as a safety mechanism to ensure the safe operation of the facility and to reduce emissions.
How often does Shell Polymers Monaca flare?
Shell Polymers Monaca typically flares at startup, during unit shutdowns and turnarounds which typically occurs approximately once every five years. Abnormal flaring may also occur as needs dictate.
Will the community be notified in advance, or after, an abnormal flaring event?
In the event of an unplanned flaring event, the community will be notified once we identify the cause of the need to flare and will share that with you.
What chemicals are being released during flaring? What are the potential contaminants?
Components potentially released during flaring may include particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. For further information, please refer to our air permit on the PA Department of Environmental Protection website.
Is this a new flaring process, or has this exact process been done before? What are the potential safety concerns during the process of flaring for residents specifically in regard to air pollution?
The flaring process is a common practice by the industry and an acceptable method approved by the regulating community and is permitted by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. More information on our air permit.
Is it technically possible to capture emissions instead of flaring excess material? Why can’t the hydrocarbons burned in the flares be captured, sent to other users, and used as fuel for other energy needs?
The flare is designed to combust, and thereby reduce emission levels.
Have you educated local fire departments that will be called upon to extinguish a potential fire on Shell’s site about the nature of those fires, the chemicals that might be involved, and the health risks?
Yes. We work closely with local emergency services. We also have an onsite fire department dedicated to and equipped for responding to site emergencies. In the event additional services may be required, Beaver County Emergency Services would be contacted to notify local departments in its mutual aid system, if necessary, based upon the resources requested.
How quickly can the river valley around Shell be evacuated in an emergency? What emergency procedures have you worked out with surrounding communities when there is a large toxic emission event, fire, or explosion?
We understand residents may be asking this question based upon historic experiences with other types of industrial facilities in the area who fall under the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Our facility does not fall under this same response framework. In the unlikely event of an emergency requiring an evacuation, we would be in communication with Beaver County Emergency Services who would make a determination to activate their reverse 911 mass notification system if needed.
In the event of a concern or question about the facility, is there a direct contact number or email available?
Yes. If you have a question or concern, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our email address at shellchemicalsproject@shell.com, phone number 1-844-776-5581, or through this webpage.
Where can I find out more information about Shell’s Ethane Pipeline and review FAQs?
Specific information about the Falcon Ethane Pipeline may be found on the Shell Pipeline Website.
I’m having trouble connecting to your Virtual Meeting.
We’re sorry to hear you experienced challenges while trying to connect to the Virtual Meeting. Please know a recording of our virtual meetings is available on the Shell Polymers Monaca website. You can also ask questions after watching the recording by emailing us at shellchemicalsproject@shell.com.
When you have a community meeting, on the iPad it’s difficult to see the full screen with the Q&A box part on it. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you for your feedback. We checked with our technology team, and they recommend participating via computer rather than tablet or smartphone if you plan to join online. In this way, your screen will provide the best user interface experience for the meeting.
Are there combustible materials that will be transported on rail cars which could pose a threat to nearby civilians in the event of a derailment or crash?
We receive hydrocarbons that are used in our processing units, as well as ship some of our liquid hydrocarbon byproducts by rail. We comply with applicable Federal Railroad Authority and Department of Transportation requirements for shipment of materials and hazardous goods. We also have a comprehensive emergency response plan and partner with CHEMTREC for any hazardous material response required offsite 24/7, as well as a dedicated internal team for incident response.
What percentage of PE do you ship out on rails vs. trucks?
The plant is designed to ship 100% of the material by rail or truck depending on the customer needs.
How does Shell Polymers Monaca control noise from rail operations?
The railyard operates 24/7/365 to support our operations with approximately 80-100 railcars (hydrocarbon and hopper) a day.
Noise is predominately created by the movement and switching of railcars which includes the use of horns and bells as primary safety features, fulfilling OSHA requirements. There are speed limits in the rail yard to ensure safe and controlled operations but also to minimize noise. For smaller movements we utilize trackmobiles which are smaller, lighter, and have a lower overall noise profile. We have undertaken noise sampling and are conducting technical analysis for further improvement opportunities.
How many people are employed at the plant?
Approximately 600 on site. According to a recent Robert Moris University Study (PDF)
Where can I learn more about any open positions?
Find employment opportunities at Shell, including the Monaca plant, on the Shell USA Careers website. Enter “Monaca” as the site location.
How is Shell supporting local workforce training in Beaver County?
Hiring from the local community is important to us. We made a $1M investment to create the Shell Center for Process Technology at the Community College of Beaver County to support training for workers interested in working with us or at other sites as process technologists. We’ve also supported individual students in that program with scholarships.
What kind of financial impact will this plant bring to the area in the future?
Shell does not conduct its own economic impact analyses. However we recently commissioned Robert Morris University to perform an economic impact analysis (PDF)
How does my business become a vendor with Shell?
If your company is interested in contracting our supplying with Shell Polymers, please visit the supplier portal. Once on the portal page, you will be apply to provide information about your company and register your interest in being considered as a supplier.
