Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that Shell will pay millions of dollars after the company acknowledged it exceeded emission limitations at its Beaver County facility. The Shapiro Administration, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection, have entered into a consent order and agreement with the energy giant over its Shell Polymers Monaca plant in Potter Township.Under the agreement, Shell will pay a civil penalty of $4.9 million. Twenty-five percent of that penalty will be directed to local communities. Additionally, Shapiro said Shell will spend another $5 million on local environmental projects. The plant is set to resume operations starting Wednesday.Western Pennsylvania will directly receive $6.2 million for projects to benefit the environment, health, and quality of life of the community near the facility because of the agreement, Shapiro said. “Shell recognizes that as a company, it must do better, and this $6.2 million commitment to the people of Western Pennsylvania is a down payment on that progress,” the governor said in a statement. “My administration will continue to work with Shell to ensure they live up to this agreement, and we will be prepared to hold them accountable for any future violations.”Shapiro said Shell exceeded its rolling 12-month total emission limitations for volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hazardous air pollutants. The state said Shell attributed some of these emissions to malfunctions and anticipates additional exceedances of its 12-month total emission limitations during the commissioning phase into autumn 2023 but not during normal operations.Shell will also pay additional monthly civil penalties for the rest of 2023 for any further exceedances.This announcement comes after Shell was hit with a federal lawsuit by the Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council. The lawsuit accuses Shell of repeatedly violating permitted air pollution limits. The groups are calling for strict penalties and a halt to what it calls the “illegal release of smog-forming pollutants.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that Shell will pay millions of dollars after the company acknowledged it exceeded emission limitations at its Beaver County facility.
The Shapiro Administration, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection, have entered into a consent order and agreement with the energy giant over its Shell Polymers Monaca plant in Potter Township.
Under the agreement, Shell will pay a civil penalty of $4.9 million. Twenty-five percent of that penalty will be directed to local communities. Additionally, Shapiro said Shell will spend another $5 million on local environmental projects.
The plant is set to resume operations starting Wednesday.
Western Pennsylvania will directly receive $6.2 million for projects to benefit the environment, health, and quality of life of the community near the facility because of the agreement, Shapiro said.
“Shell recognizes that as a company, it must do better, and this $6.2 million commitment to the people of Western Pennsylvania is a down payment on that progress,” the governor said in a statement. “My administration will continue to work with Shell to ensure they live up to this agreement, and we will be prepared to hold them accountable for any future violations.”
Shapiro said Shell exceeded its rolling 12-month total emission limitations for volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hazardous air pollutants. The state said Shell attributed some of these emissions to malfunctions and anticipates additional exceedances of its 12-month total emission limitations during the commissioning phase into autumn 2023 but not during normal operations.
Shell will also pay additional monthly civil penalties for the rest of 2023 for any further exceedances.
This announcement comes after Shell was hit with a federal lawsuit by the Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council. The lawsuit accuses Shell of repeatedly violating permitted air pollution limits. The groups are calling for strict penalties and a halt to what it calls the “illegal release of smog-forming pollutants.”
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