Andrew Earley - Staff Attorney with Fair Shake

Clean Seas and Belle, West Virginia: What’s at Stake

Across West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley, communities have lived with a long legacy of industrial development and pollution. From Union Carbide to Dow, residents have seen firsthand how chemical production reshapes local environments and public health. Now, a new proposal has many people asking hard questions: the Clean Seas plastics pyrolysis facility in Belle, West Virginia.

In this episode of Exposure, co-hosts Jill Hunkler and Stuart Day sat down with Andrew Early, staff attorney with Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, to unpack what Clean Seas is, how pyrolysis works, and what this project could mean for the people of Belle.

What is Clean Seas Proposing?

Clean Seas is seeking to build a facility that would use a process called pyrolysis to break down plastic waste at very high temperatures in a low-oxygen environment. The company promotes this as a type of recycling, suggesting it can turn waste plastics into oil, gas, or even soil amendments.

But critics point out that pyrolysis is essentially incineration by another name—and that incineration has long been tied to harmful emissions, toxic residues, and health risks for nearby communities.

Timing and Permits

Clean Seas has been in the media since 2023, but only recently applied for its air quality permit from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

During the recording, Jill noted that rumors in the community suggest the company may already be stockpiling plastic waste on site. To be clear, at the time of this recording there was no evidence that Clean Seas had begun incineration. The concerns instead reflect how communities often feel left in the dark about projects that affect their air, water, and safety.

Why Location Matters

The Belle facility site sits directly across from Riverside High School, a public library, and a health center. Andrew noted how unusual it is to see heavy industrial projects placed so close to schools and community hubs:

“It seems like an odd location to me… our kids are more vulnerable to risks from air quality. It doesn’t feel fair.”

This echoes a broader theme in the conversation: why do industrial projects so often end up in places where communities have fewer resources to fight back?

Legal Loopholes and Regulation

One of the episode’s key takeaways is how pyrolysis facilities often avoid being regulated under the Clean Air Act’s section on incinerators. By rebranding the process, companies can sometimes secure lighter regulatory treatment as “minor sources,” which means less monitoring and oversight.

As Andrew explained:

“The concern is that when they avoid regulation under section 129, there’s this gap—they aren’t going to be properly regulated at all, which means no oversight.”

The Bigger Picture

The Clean Seas proposal is not unique. Across the U.S., new plastics pyrolysis projects are being floated as “solutions” to the plastic waste crisis. But as Andrew points out, these technologies aren’t new—and past efforts have repeatedly fallen short of promises.

Communities are left with pressing questions:

• Who benefits when these facilities are built?

• Who bears the risks?

• And why are schools and neighborhoods so often turned into sacrifice zones for industrial experiments?

Watch the Full Conversation

This episode of Exposure offers a candid look at the intersection of industry, regulation, and community health in West Virginia. Andrew Early’s legal insight, paired with Jill and Stuart’s grounded questioning, paints a picture of what’s at stake for Belle—and for all communities navigating the petrochemical buildout.

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Citations and Resources:

Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7401 (1990).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Clean Air Act standards and guidelines for waste incinerators. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/clean-air-act-standards-and-guidelines-waste-incinerators

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (2025). Public notice and air permit application documents for Clean Seas facility, Belle, WV. Charleston, WV: WVDEP.

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services. (n.d.). Fair Shake lending library: The art of commenting. Retrieved from https://www.fairshake-els.org/lending-library

Freedom Forum. (2024, March 20). Are non-citizens protected by the First Amendment? Retrieved from https://www.freedomforum.org/non-citizens-protected-first-amendment

Clean-Seas. (2025). Clean-Seas West Virginia. Retrieved from https://www.clean-seas.com/clean-seas-west-virginia

Clean-Seas. (2025, April 2). Clean-Seas West Virginia receives first shipment of core facility equipment. Retrieved from https://www.clean-seas.com/post/clean-seas-west-virginia-receives-first-shipment-of-core-facility-equipment

Clean-Seas. (2025, August 7). Clean-Seas West Virginia accepts first delivery of plastic feedstock. Nasdaq. Retrieved from https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/clean-seas-west-virginia-accepts-first-delivery-plastic-feedstock-2025-08-07

Green Stock News. (2025, June 12). Clean-Seas West Virginia ships first pyrolysis reactor to Belle facility. Retrieved from https://greenstocknews.com/news/otcmkts/clnv/clean-seas-west-virginia-ships-first-pyrolysis-reactor-to-belle-facility

Oil & Gas Watch. (2025, March 14). Clean-Seas applies for initial air construction permit for proposed chemical recycling plant. Retrieved from https://oilandgaswatch.org/alert/rec_d2mtqd7cfi5rpbe2j1gg

Recycling Today. (2025, May 10). Clean Vision Corp. breaks ground on West Virginia pyrolysis facility. Retrieved from https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/clean-vision-corporation-breaks-ground-on-west-virginia-pyrolysis-facility

West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office. (2025, May 10). Treasurer Pack applauds Clean-Seas WV for breaking ground, creating jobs in Eastern Kanawha County. Retrieved from https://wvtreasury.gov/About/Press-Releases/details/treasurer-pack-applauds-cleans-seas-wv-for-breaking-ground-creating-jobs-in-eastern-kanawha-county

Disclaimer:

      Exposure is an editorial and investigative journalism platform produced by Ohio Valley Allies. The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the organization or its affiliates.

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