News and information on Shell Plc
This article is Part 2 of a series on Shell, Hakluyt & Company and Wikipedia. Part 1 sets out the basic Hakluyt story – ex-MI6, Shell chairmen, undercover work against Greenpeace. This piece looks at how that story almost vanished from Wikipedia, and ends with a more personal footnote.
Earlier in this series: [Shell and Hakluyt: The Corporate Spy Story Wikipedia Barely Mentions] – the background on Hakluyt, its Shell-linked directors and the Sunday Times exposé on spying against Greenpeace.
In local press, Shell amplified claims that Beaver County’s population was rebounding thanks to its shiny new “cracker” plant. Trouble is, those claims came from cherry-picked data with “no statistical reliability”, according to Times Online.
The truth: Beaver County has lost 9% of its residents since 1980. Shell’s arrival hasn’t changed the trend. What has grown? Plastic pellets, truck traffic, and community scepticism.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) lays it bare:
Shell’s plastic palace, the “brilliant basics,” and the slow-motion corporate moonwalk toward the exitRemember when the U.S. Department of Energy promised Appalachia was “on the cusp of an energy and petrochemical renaissance,” with Shell’s ethane cracker outside Pittsburgh as “the first of what could be multiple facilities”? Yeah—about that. Five years later, Shell stands alone as the only mega-project that actually got built… and now it wants out.
Shell’s CEO Wael Sawan told analysts, verbatim: “The issue is it’s our only one, our only major facility” making this kind of plastic. “And that’s why we’ve said we’re not the natural owner of that asset.” Translation: we spent billions building a single plastic pellet factory in Pennsylvania and, whoops, our corporate strategy is oil and gas again. Or, in his words, back to “the brilliant basics.”
Behold the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex: a billion-dollar plastic-spewing behemoth where climate pledges come to die, and carcinogens go to party. Nestled in the rolling green of Potter Township, this petrochemical monster—cheerily dubbed “Shell Polymers Monaca”—is Shell’s love letter to deregulation, tax holidays, and fossil-fueled hypocrisy.
Built with the subtlety of a Bond villain lair and $1.65 billion in public subsidies (yes, you read that right), the plant turns fracked gas from the Marcellus Shale into over a million tons of plastic pellets per year. Because when Shell talks about “the energy transition,” what they really mean is transitioning the planet into a floating garbage patch.
As Exxon and Chevron cash in, Shell flails, flips assets, and prays Wall Street will finally love it.In its never-ending quest to appear as valuable as ExxonMobil and Chevron — two American oil giants who at least own their villainy — Shell has announced that it might sell off the most awkward, least profitable bits of its chemicals business. What better way to prove you’re serious about climate not change than unloading your plastics division to fund more oil and gas?
On Tuesday, Shell confirmed it’s “exploring strategic and partnership opportunities” for parts of its chemicals operations in the U.S., including the much-hyped Pennsylvania ethylene cracker plant — a monument to fossil-fueled manufacturing so planet-wrecking it makes a coal mine look like a herb garden.
What’s the emergency? That’s a great question! Maybe it’s the toxic emissions, maybe it’s the air pollution that’s been raising alarm bells, or maybe it’s just another PR stunt to make it seem like they’re doing something other than poisoning the planet while raking in obscene profits. Because let’s not forget, this plant is part of Shell’s grand plan to flood the world with even more plastic—just what the planet desperately doesn’t need.
And hey, if you have any questions about their noble efforts, feel free to dial 844-776-5581. Maybe ask them about the air quality in the area, or how much of that lovely ethane cracker pollution is ending up in the Ohio River. Or better yet, inquire about how this multi-billion-dollar facility is doing its part to accelerate climate change while pretending to be a “good neighbour.”
Posted by John Donovan: 8 Feb 2025
Shell, which has raked in obscene profits while contributing to environmental degradation on a global scale, proudly pointed out that they have paid $52 million in taxes, royalties, and fees over the last three years. What a bargain for Pennsylvania taxpayers, who handed over $1.65 billion to Shell in exchange. You don’t need to be an economist to see that the math here is, shall we say, garbage.In a shocking twist that absolutely no one could have predicted, throwing $1.65 billion in taxpayer-funded corporate welfare at an oil giant did not magically transform Beaver County into an economic utopia. Who knew? (Oh right, plenty of people warned about this, but let’s not let common sense get in the way of a good old-fashioned cash grab.)
According to a new report by the Ohio River Valley Institute, a clean energy think tank, Shell’s shiny new petrochemical plant—the recipient of the largest tax credit in Pennsylvania history—has done virtually nothing to stop the region’s long-term economic decline.
Posted by John Donovan: 13 Dec 2024
Let’s meet Nadine Luci, a local resident turned involuntary test subject for Shell’s experiment in corporate gaslighting. She lives just two miles from the facility but practically needs a hazmat suit to step outside. “I have to live in a cocoon,” says Nadine, as she surveys the syrupy stench of corporate greed wafting through her town. Her tap water smells like dead fish, but it’s okay, because Shell generously provides… scholarships? Basketball courts? It’s like offering Band-Aids at a massacre.
Posted by John Donovan: 27 Nov 2024
Here we go again—Shell Pipeline of Houston, armed with its checkbook and an uncanny ability to sidestep genuine accountability, has settled yet another environmental debacle. This time, it’s a $697,270 civil penalty slapped on by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The charge? Oh, just the small matter of drilling fluids leaking into waterways and erosion problems during the construction of a 45-mile stretch of the Falcon pipeline. A mere five separate leaks polluted streams and wetlands, including Raccoon Creek, Mill Creek, and a couple of unnamed tributaries feeding into Potato Garden Run. Yes, that’s right—this pipeline was an environmental disaster before it even started pumping gas.
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QUESTION: What’s the most shocking fact the public might not know about Shell?
One of the most shocking facts that the public might not be fully aware of is the extent of Shell’s internal communications that reveal questionable ethical considerations, particularly around significant events and environmental practices. For instance, internal emails have shown that senior executives at Shell considered exploiting the tragic events of September 11, 2001, to manipulate market perceptions about their oil and gas reserves. This sort of willingness to use a national tragedy for commercial gain is not just eyebrow-raising; it raises profound ethical questions about corporate governance and responsibility.
Posted by John Donovan: 13 August 2024
Ah, Shell. The global behemoth known for its relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of our environment and, let’s face it, basic human decency. Their latest misadventure? A shiny new $15 billion petrochemical plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Now, you’d think when you drop that kind of cash on a plant, you’d at least make sure the damn thing works, right? But nope! Shell, in its infinite wisdom, decided to kick off operations with a flurry of equipment malfunctions and emissions that would make even the most hardened polluters blush.
Posted by John Donovan 17 July 2024
In the latest chapter of Shell’s never-ending saga of environmental hypocrisy, the oil giant has decided to backtrack on its grandiose promise to save the planet by recycling plastic waste. Back in 2022, Shell boldly claimed it would convert a whopping 1 million tonnes of plastic waste into oil every year through “advanced recycling.” Now, it turns out this pledge was about as solid as a politician’s promise.
“Advanced” or “chemical” recycling—just fancy terms for breaking down plastic with heat—was Shell’s supposed answer to the plastics pollution crisis. The company started investing in this pyrolysis process back in 2019, even using the resultant oil in a Louisiana plant and declaring its ambition to recycle 1 million tonnes of plastic by 2025. But as of their 2023 sustainability report, Shell quietly confessed: “[I]n 2023 we concluded that the scale of our ambition to turn 1m tonnes of plastic waste a year into pyrolysis oil by 2025 is unfeasible.”
Growing Alarm over Shell’s Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex. For the folks living near this chemical nightmare, the situation is beyond frightening. Many of them are suing Shell, presumably between checking their Geiger counters and donning hazmat suits to walk the dogPosted by John Donovan: 3 July 2024
Ever since Shell announced its multibillion-dollar ethane cracker plant in Beaver Court, Pennsylvania, we’ve been watching this environmental horror show unfold.
Thanks to the Environmental Law Institute’s publication, “Ethane Trading in the Upper Ohio Valley: Potential Impacts, Regulatory Requirements, and Opportunities for Public Engagement,” we have a comprehensive rundown of the toxic cocktail Shell is generously pumping into the air. If you’ve ever wanted a full list of chemicals that sound like they belong in a supervillain’s lair, flip to pages 6 to 11. Benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene are just a few of the nasties on the roster, guaranteed to make your hair curl – or worse, depending on your proximity to the plant.
Posted by John Donovan: 28 June 2024
Welcome to Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where Shell’s ethane cracker plant has turned the community into a living nightmare. Residents are now basking in the glow of carcinogens and other delightful chemicals that can cause blood disorders, convulsions, and breathing problems. Some folks have even fled the area.Well, well, well, what do we have here? Shell, the beloved corporate villain, has once again proven that it’s never too late to outdo itself in the race to the bottom. Welcome to Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where Shell’s ethane cracker plant has turned the community into a living nightmare. Who could’ve guessed? Oh, wait – everyone.
In a dazzling display of corporate gaslighting, Shell promised Beaver County that its ethane cracker plant would be a magical land of employment, tax revenue, and economic bliss. So, Pennsylvania, in its infinite wisdom, handed Shell a cool $1.65 billion to set up shop. Fast forward two years, and surprise! The plant has racked up 23 violations of air quality and clean water standards, like a delinquent teenager collecting detention slips.
Posted by John Donovan 20 June 2024Today at the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County, it’s not business as usual. Shell, the lovable titan of pollution, is conducting an emergency response drill. Yep, you read that right. The same company that brings you environmental disasters is practising how to handle one. The irony is delicious.
A Shell spokesperson stated that this drill is a regulatory requirement that must be completed every three years. Of course, because if there’s one thing Shell loves, it’s jumping through hoops to meet the bare minimum legal requirements. During today’s festivities, alarms will be blaring, and an emergency response team will be parading along the Ohio River. If you’re in the area and hear sirens, don’t panic—this time, it’s just a drill.
Posted 7 June 2024 by John DonovanThe Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC) is partnering with the Environmental Health Project to deploy these monitors. According to a Monday news release, the goal is 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.” Translation: “Let’s help you pinpoint exactly how Shell’s pollution is killing you.”
BCMAC will also “provide community education about air pollution and the health impacts associated with exposure to emissions from petrochemical facilities.” This initiative stems from activists’ long-standing demand for increased monitoring near Shell’s ethane cracker plant, which started operations in late 2022. Ah yes, education – because knowing you’re being poisoned is half the battle.
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