Watchdogs to monitor air pollution with more than $630K in Shell penalty funds

POTTER TWP. ― Environmental watchdog groups plan to leverage more than $630,000 in Shell penalty funds to install five real-time air monitors throughout Beaver County – gathering data to evaluate the possible public health impacts of air pollution in the region.

The Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community will work with the Environmental Health Project to install five continuous air monitors throughout the county to “analyze, visualize and interpret the data collected from these monitors to help community members understand where the air pollution is coming from and what health outcomes they may expect,” BCMAC said in a Monday news release.

The groups will “provide community education about air pollution and the health impacts associated with exposure to emissions from petrochemical facilities,” too.

Mitigation funds announced: 21 projects selected for Shell environmental mitigation funding

Activists have called for bolstered real-time air monitoring near Shell’s ethane cracker plant in Potter Township before the plastic facility’s late-2022 startup.

Activists want oversight: Activists ask Beaver County leaders to support greater oversight of Shell cracker plant

The project is one of 21 initiatives recommended to receive environmental mitigation funds established last May after Shell signed a consent order and agreement with Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection to resolve months of air pollution exceedances at the company’s petrochemical plant.

The DEP had issued Shell multiple permit violation notices for exceeding rolling air pollution limits, unexpected gas flaring and malodors during the plant’s startup and early operations.

Shell has submitted more than two dozen malfunction reports and has received four air quality violation notices since that order was signed last year.

Shell paid roughly $10 million for repeated air permit violations, including a $4.9 million civil penalty to the DEP and another $5 million to establish a fund for projects that “benefit the environment, health and quality of life” of Beaver Countians.

Fines issued: Shell to pay $10 million for air violations and restart cracker plant production

As trustees of the fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation Board of Directors will give final approval and disperse the funds in the coming weeks.

“As a grassroots organization dedicated to environmental awareness and public health advocacy, BCMAC is committed to promoting clean air and a healthy environment for all residents of Beaver County,” said Hilary Starcher-O’Toole, BCMAC executive director. “It’s a shame these funds have to be awarded at all but we are committed to making sure we use them wisely to protect our community members.”

BCMAC will also partner with the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health to help implement portions of the project related to assessing public health impacts of air pollutant exposure. Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania will join the project to provide education and resources about the health impacts of environmental pollutants.

“We look forward to working with BCMAC in their commitment to elevating environmental and public health in Beaver County using a genuine community-engaged approach,” said James Fabisiak, director of the School of Public Health’s Center for Healthy Environments and Communities.

Chrissy Suttles is a freelance business, energy and environment reporter for The Beaver County Times and other publications. You can reach her at csuttles00@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Watchdogs to monitor air pollution with Shell penalty funds