Beyond The Well ; Exposure Points Episode 2

Ohio Valley Allies
13 minutes ago
8 min read

Fracking is the entry point - Petrochemicals are the empire built behind it

By Stuart Day | Exposure Points | November 2025

Most people think fracking ends at the well. The drill packs up, the trucks roll out, and the gas enters a pipeline headed to home furnaces and ovens. But in the Ohio River Valley, what happens after the well is a convoluted series of steps and entire industries that have nothing to do with heating homes. As Stuart lays out in this episode of Exposure Points, the modern fracking boom is only one piece of a much larger machine — one that stretches from the shale layer to ethane crackers, storage hubs, hydrogen and ammonia proposals, pyrolysis plants, and global plastics markets. It’s a system with a single through-line: petrochemicals.

This episode follows the gas beyond the wellhead, mapping the industrial logic that targeted Appalachia for one of the most ambitious petrochemical expansions in North America. The picture that emerges is not a story about energy independence. It’s a story about feedstock, infrastructure, and a region shaped by a plan most people never saw.

The Real Purpose of the Gas

When raw fracked gas rises from the shale, it carries much more than methane. It brings ethane, propane, butane, pentane, benzene, toluene — a chemical stew that must be separated before any of it can be burned or sold. Processing plants strip the methane for fuel, but everything else moves deeper into the petrochemical chain.

Ethane, in particular, is the backbone of this system. It has almost no purpose outside plastics production. And because the Marcellus and Utica formations are unusually “wet” — rich in liquids like ethane — Appalachia became an attractive target for companies wanting to expand plastics and chemical manufacturing.

This, Stuart explains, is the quiet truth behind the fracking boom: it wasn’t only about producing gas. It was about producing petrochemicals. But you never heard that when politicians were selling it to communities, when land-men were signing leases with landowners. All you heard was "energy independence".

Why Appalachia Was Chosen

The Ohio River Valley didn’t stumble into this role. It was selected.

This region offered every major advantage the petrochemical industry needed: prolific ethane-rich shale, an existing network of pipelines, cheap industrial land, rail and river transport, proximity to East Coast ports, and state and municipal governments willing to grease the rails for development, convinced that a promised economic boom could restore their standing after globalization hollowed out their historic anchor industries.

The Shell ethane cracker in Beaver County was designed to be the anchor — a flagship project that would draw in processors, manufacturers, and storage facilities. Similar proposals followed in Ohio and West Virginia. Some progressed, others stalled, but the intention behind them was unmistakable. The industry saw the valley as a second Gulf Coast: a future petrochemical corridor running along the Ohio River.

Whether or not the full buildout happens, the blueprint still shapes politics, zoning, and investment today.

The Storage Hubs Beneath the Surface

One of the most revealing parts of the episode concerns the proposed underground storage hubs — vast salt caverns engineered to hold volatile liquids like ethane and propane under extreme pressure. Projects in West Virginia and Ohio were pitched as essential infrastructure, the missing link needed to stabilize feedstock supply to new crackers and manufacturing plants.

But storage hubs would anchor Appalachia to petrochemicals for generations. Communities raised concerns about groundwater contamination, leaks, and catastrophic failures — concerns grounded in the industry’s own history. Stuart notes how these hubs were marketed as harmless components of a future “energy economy,” even as residents questioned whether they could ever be safely operated or regulated.

Even though many of these projects remain speculative, the uncertainty they created continues to affect local planning and community confidence.

Hydrogen, Ammonia, and Rebranded Gas Projects

As political winds shifted toward climate policy, a wave of new projects swept into the region: hydrogen plants, blue ammonia proposals, and carbon-capture-driven manufacturing schemes. But as Stuart lays out, these projects rely heavily on fracked gas and produce large volumes of carbon dioxide, despite being marketed as climate solutions.

Many exist only on paper. They generate press releases, community presentations, and political excitement — but few break ground. Still, their presence is strategic. Their announcements help justify continued drilling, pipeline development, and public subsidies. They create the perception of an incoming economic boom that may never arrive.

In this way, the region becomes locked into speculation — the promise of jobs tomorrow used to rationalize industrial expansion today.

It’s also worth noting that, despite the speculative and often hypothetical nature of these projects, some have still secured public development grants and other forms of government support. These dollars might have otherwise gone toward practical, community-level improvements instead of propping up proposals that remain firmly on paper.

The Rise of Pyrolysis and “Advanced Recycling”

Another piece of the puzzle is chemical recycling. The industry presents pyrolysis as a solution to plastic waste, promising to transform trash into usable fuels or raw materials. But Stuart notes that in practice, these plants function more like disguised incinerators: high emissions, technical failures, and operations that often depend on generous subsidies and permissive permitting.

Projects in Youngstown, Lowellville, and other local communities illustrate the pattern. They appear under the banner of “green innovation,” but their processes remain opaque, their emissions significant, and their economic footprints uncertain. For nearby residents, the risks are real even if the promises are vague.

What Oversight Really Looks Like

Throughout the episode, Stuart returns to one key theme: the difference between what’s permitted and what’s monitored. The Shell cracker in Beaver County is legally allowed to release over a million pounds of volatile organic compounds each year. Chemours — the successor to DuPont’s Washington Works facility — has a long history of exceeding discharge limits.

If the most visible facilities exceed standards, he asks, what does that say about the smaller ones operating largely out of sight? Oversight, in many cases, depends on self-reporting. And in regions with long industrial histories, communities know what that can mean.

The Human Consequences of Speculation

Perhaps the most overlooked impact of the petrochemical buildout is its psychological toll. Even projects that never materialize leave lasting marks. Land values are affected. Neighbors argue. Towns divide over the promise of jobs. Residents live for years in uncertainty, not knowing whether their community will become the next industrial site.

These tensions don’t require a smokestack. They grow out of plans, press releases, and “proposed” facilities that can linger for decades. For many residents, that’s disruption enough.

“If two of the most notable plants in the Ohio River Valley are already known to have exceeded their discharge limits… how many others might also be over their limits but not being caught?”— Exposure Points

Closing

Beyond the Well reveals a truth that rarely enters public debates about fracking: the drilling is only the first step. What follows is a complex, interconnected petrochemical system built from pipelines, processing plants, crackers, storage hubs, and waste-to-fuel schemes — a system that requires communities to live with the risk while industries pursue the reward.

The episode makes one thing clear: understanding fracking requires more than understanding wells. It requires seeing the entire machine behind them — and the future it’s creating for the Ohio River Valley.

Citations and Resources:

SHELL — BEAVER COUNTY / PENNSYLVANIA

Shell fined $10 million for excessive pollution from Pennsylvania petrochemical plantQuartz2023https://qz.com/shell-chemical-appalachia-pennsylvania-pollution-fine-1850473853

A New Shell Plant in Pennsylvania Will Soon Become the State’s Second-Largest Emitter of Volatile Organic ChemicalsInsideClimate NewsOctober 2022https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16102022/a-new-shell-plant-in-pennsylvania-will-soon-become-the-states-second-largest-emitter-of-volatile-organic-chemicals/

A New Shell Plant in Pennsylvania Will Soon Become the State’s Second-Largest Emitter of Volatile Organic ChemicalsGovernors Wind Energy Coalition (syndicated)2022https://governorswindenergycoalition.org/a-new-shell-plant-in-pennsylvania-will-soon-become-the-states-second-largest-emitter-of-volatile-organic-chemicals/

Environmental Groups Sue Shell Over Petrochemical Plant PollutionInsideClimate NewsMay 2023https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12052023/shell-petrochemical-plant-pennsylvania-suit/

Shell’s cracker plant repeatedly violated air pollution limits in its first months of operationPublicSource2023https://www.publicsource.org/shell-cracker-plant-pennsylvania-department-environmental-protection-dep-emissions/

Pennsylvania water supplies contaminated after Shell petrochemical plant failureThe GuardianDecember 2024https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/11/pennsylvania-water-shell-oil

Shell Polymers Monaca Data DashboardFracTracker2025https://www.fractracker.org/2025/07/shell-polymers-data-dashboard/

Shell’s ethane cracker, a mammoth plastics plant near Pittsburgh, begins operationsStateImpact PennsylvaniaNovember 2022https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2022/11/15/shells-ethane-cracker-a-mammoth-plastics-plant-near-pittsburgh-begins-operations/

Shell’s ethane cracker, a mammoth plastics plant near Pittsburgh, begins operationsStateImpact Pennsylvania (duplicate link)November 2022https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2022/11/15/shells-ethane-cracker-a-mammoth-plastics-plant-near-pittsburgh-begins-operations/

Shell’s Ethane Cracker: The Biggest Taxpayer Giveaway in Pa. History?Philadelphia MagazineJune 2016https://www.phillymag.com/business/2016/06/08/shell-ethane-cracker/

Taxpayers subsidize polluting Shell ethane plant in Pa.WESAMarch 2024https://www.wesa.fm/environment-energy/2024-03-23/taxpayers-subsidize-polluting-shell-ethane

Shell may sell $14 billion plastics plant in Pennsylvania after record tax deal fails to deliverEnvironmental Health News2024https://www.ehn.org/shell-may-sell-14-billion-plastic-plant-in-pennsylvania-after-record-tax-deal-fails-to-deliver

Pennsylvania lured Shell to the state with a $1.65B tax break. Now the company wants to sell the plant.Pennsylvania Capital-Star2025https://penncapital-star.com/energy-environment/pennsylvania-lured-shell-to-the-state-with-a-1-65-billion-tax-break-now-the-company-wants-to-sell-its-plant/

PTTGC / BELMONT COUNTY ETHANE CRACKER

PTTGC’s Ethane Cracker Project in Belmont County, OhioFracTracker2018https://www.fractracker.org/2018/11/pttgc-ethane-cracker/

PTTGCA drafting application for modified Ohio EPA air permitPTTGCA2024https://pttgca.com/pttgca-drafting-application-for-modified-oepa-air-permit/

PTTGC America redrafting permit for petrochemical complex in Belmont CountyWTOV92023https://wtov9.com/news/local/pttgc-america-redrafting-permit-for-petrochemical-complex-in-belmont-county

Modified Air Permit Sought for Proposed Ethane Cracker Plant in Belmont CountyThe IntelligencerFebruary 2022https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2022/02/modified-air-permit-sought-for-proposed-ethane-cracker-plant-in-belmont-county/

APPALACHIA PETROCHEMICAL HUB / ETHANE STORAGE

Appalachian Energy and Petrochemical Renaissance ReportU.S. Department of Energy2020https://www.energy.gov/articles/appalachian-energy-and-petrochemical-renaissance

Secretary Perry Announces Appalachian Ethane Storage Hub ReportU.S. Department of Energy2018https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-perry-announces-appalachian-ethane-storage-hub-report

Appalachian Storage Hub: A Petrochemical ComplexOHVEC2019https://ohvec.org/appalachian-storage-hub-petrochemical-complex/

PFAS / DUPONT / CHEMOURS

DuPont, Corterva, Chemours reach PFAS settlement with New Jersey DEPManufacturing Dive2024https://www.manufacturingdive.com/news/dupont-corteva-chemours-pfas-settlement-new-jersey-environmental-protection/756729/

The Teflon Toxin: The Case Against DuPontThe InterceptAugust 2015https://theintercept.com/2015/08/17/teflon-toxin-case-against-dupont/

Chemours, DuPont Move to Keep Court Records SealedCoastal Review2025https://coastalreview.org/2025/03/chemours-dupont-move-to-keep-court-records-sealed/

CHEMICAL RECYCLING / PYROLYSIS

Chemical Recycling: GAO ReportU.S. Government Accountability Office2021https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-105317

Chemical Recycling: A False Solution to the Plastic CrisisNRDC2022https://www.nrdc.org/resources/chemical-recycling

Chemical Recycling Issue BriefBeyond Plastics / NRDC2022https://www.beyondplastics.org/reports/chemical-recycling-issue-brief-nrdc

NRDC Report Trashes Chemical RecyclingTreehugger2022https://www.treehugger.com/nrdc-report-trashes-chemical-recycling-5221820

New NRDC Analysis: Chemical Recycling is Harmful and MisleadingNRDC Press Release2022https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/new-nrdc-chemical-recycling-analysis-process-harmful-misleading-not-solving-plastic

SOBE THERMAL / YOUNGSTOWN PYROLYSIS

STOP-SOBE Community WebsiteSTOP-SOBE2023–2024https://www.stop-sobe.com/

OilandGasWatch Facility 5483 — Sobe ThermalOilandGasWatch2023https://oilandgaswatch.org/facility/5483

Council votes to extend moratorium preventing SOBE’s pyrolysis processWKBN2023https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/sharon-news/council-votes-to-extend-moratorium-preventing-sobes-pyrolysis-process/

CLEAN SEAS — BELLE, WV

Clean-Seas West Virginia Begins Construction of Plastic-to-Clean-Fuel FacilityWBOY / Accesswire2024https://www.wboy.com/business/press-releases/accesswire/997908/clean-seas-west-virginia-begins-construction-of-plastic-to-clean-fuel-facility-in-west-virginia/

Clean Seas: New Plastic Conversion Plant Breaking Ground in Kanawha CountyWV MetroNewsJune 2025https://wvmetronews.com/2025/06/30/clean-seas-new-plastic-conversion-plant-breaking-ground-in-kanawha-county/

CARBON CAPTURE (CCS) FAILURE — GORGON

Gorgon CCS Underperformance Hits New Low 2023–24IEEFA2024https://ieefa.org/resources/gorgon-ccs-underperformance-hits-new-low-2023-24

If Chevron, Exxon, and Shell Can’t Get Gorgon’s CCS to Work — Who Can?IEEFA2024https://ieefa.org/articles/if-chevron-exxon-and-shell-cant-get-gorgons-carbon-capture-and-storage-work-who-can

World Cannot Meet Climate Targets Relying on Carbon Capture and StorageGlobal Witness2023https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/world-cannot-meet-climate-targets-relying-on-carbon-capture-and-storage/

CANCER ALLEY / EPA AIR TOXICS

State Launches Cancer Study After ProPublica Identifies Toxic Air-Pollution Hot SpotProPublica2021https://www.propublica.org/article/state-launches-cancer-study-after-propublica-identifies-toxic-air-pollution-hot-spot

Cancer Alley: The Worst for Toxic Air and Cancer Risk in the CountryGNOICC2021https://gnoicc.org/2021/11/05/cancer-alley-the-worst-for-toxic-air-and-cancer-risk-in-the-country/

Welcome to ‘Cancer Alley,’ Where Toxic Air Is About to Get WorseProPublica2021https://www.propublica.org/article/welcome-to-cancer-alley-where-toxic-air-is-about-to-get-worse

We’re Dying Here: The Fight for Life in a Louisiana Fossil Fuel Sacrifice ZoneHuman Rights WatchJanuary 2024https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/01/25/were-dying-here/fight-life-louisiana-fossil-fuel-sacrifice-zone

LEAD EXPOSURE & VIOLENT CRIME

America’s Real Criminal Element: LeadMother JonesFebruary 2016https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gasoline-crime-increase-children-health/