PTTG Cracker Plant
No Cancer Alley in Our Valley
The PTTG Cracker Plant in Dilles Bottom, OH was proposed in 2015. As of 2021, Jobs Ohio has given the company millions in a poor attempt to create jobs in the Ohio Valley.
Cracker plants emit dangerous chemicals into the air, potentially causing increase rates of asthma, respiratory infections, and heart problems. We will not let the Ohio Valley become another cancer alley.
PTTG Development Timeline
April 2015
Columbus-based PTT Global Chemical America (PTTG) launches plan for the development of their cracker plant in Belmont County. It is the American subsidiary of Thailand's PTTGC, the largest petrochemical producer in the country.
November 2018
At a widely-attended meeting at Shadyside High School, environmental activists from across the Ohio Valley spoke out in opposition to proposed permits for PTTG's construction. Many of the founders of CORR met here to join together in opposition to these permits.
July 2020
A major investor in the proposed cracker plan, Daelim Chemical USA, pulled out of their investment. PTTG sought out other investors who could fill this gap, but were unable to find adequate sources.
June 2017
PTTG buys 168 acres of land in Belmont County from FirstEnergy Corp. at $13.8 million. Ohio's private economic development firm, JobsOhio, gave PTTG $14 million to purchase the land and demolish the coal-fired power plant located there. The hope from JobsOhio was that this would lead to the construction of the cracker plant.
Summer 2019
PTTG reached a settlement agreement with Earthworks, the Sierra Club, and FreshWater Accountability Project to provide for more safeguards against air pollution from the proposed plant. JobsOhio also provided an additional $30 million in investment to PTTG to entice them to continue development of the site.
February 2021
PTTG announced that they will be indefinitely delaying a final investment decision after missed deadlines, project investors pulled out, and the global market for plastics declined.
Plastics Production Timeline
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Natural gas is extracted through a process of fracking A mixture of water, sand, and a chemical blend are mixed together and blasted into the ground at high pressure. This creates cracks in rock formations through which gas and petroleum can flow.
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Once the gas is extracted from one of three types of wells (oil, gas, condensate), it is sent to a processing facility. The facility separates hydrocarbons and fluids from the gas, which become the waste byproducts and must be transported elsewhere. This is usually done via barges or trucks.
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The "purified" natural gas is then transferred to a storage facility where it is kept either under- or aboveground. In West Virginia and Ohio, many of these storage facilities are located in close proximity to the Ohio River. This means that whenever a storage tank container erodes over time, the natural gas can leak out into water supplies, contaminating usable water as happened in Charleston in 2014.
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When a manufacturer purchases this "purified" natural gas, it is processed at an ethylene cracker plant and turned into nurdles - plastic pebbles. These nurdles are used to create consumer plastic-related products.
Dangers of Plastics Production & Usage
Why the PTTGC Cracker is a Threat to Our Air (09/03/2021)
