Ohio EPA Hosting Public Meeting on Modifications to Cracker Plant's Discharge Permit
The proposed PTTGCA petrochemical complex would be located on the west bank of the Ohio River in Belmont County.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 to present information and accept comments on draft modifications to the wastewater discharge permit related to the proposed PTTGCA petrochemical complex, which would be located at Old Route 7 and Ferry Landing Road (Hwy. 2) in Shadyside, in Belmont County. The site is located on the west bank of the Ohio River at that location.
The information session will be held at Shadyside Community Center, 50 E. 39th St., with the public hearing immediately following. During it, members of the public can submit comments for the record concerning the draft modification. The modifications to the wastewater discharge permit conditions requested by PTTGC America LLC would:
- decrease the levels of pollutants to be discharged to the Ohio River
- change the locations where stormwater will be discharged
- modify limits at an internal monitoring station that does not directly discharge to surface water
The draft modified permit is available
here. Comments will be accepted both verbally and in writing at the hearing and may be submitted through Dec. 19, 2018. Written comments may be emailed to epa.dswcomments@epa.ohio.gov or mailed to Ohio EPA-DSW Permits Processing, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.
The U.S. subsidiary of PTT Global Chemical, PTTGC America, selected the site for the possible construction of an ethane cracker. PTTGC America's board of directors has approved the execution of an agreement between PTTGCA and a subsidiary of Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd., a leading Korean construction and chemical company, to conduct a feasibility study and secure funding for the development of the complex. Information on the company’s website indicates PTTGC America chose the site because of its location on the Marcellus and Utica shale region and its access to major highway, rail, pipeline, and port infrastructure that would increase efficiency while reducing the environmental and financial costs of transportation.
If it is built, the project will be capable of producing 1.5 million metric tons of ethylene and its derivative annually. PTTGC America is investing $100 million to conduct detailed front-end engineering design and has signed contracts with Fluor Corporation and Bechtel Enterprises Holding Inc. to conduct front-end engineering design work.