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Kilgour
Executive Director,
Ohio River Valley Institute
Economic and Environmental Dynamics of Appalachian Petrochemical Development
Abstract:
Years ago, our region was inundated with claims that abundant fracked gas could fuel a petrochemical “renaissance,” generating sustained prosperity by churning out millions of pounds of resin pellets for plastic manufacturing. But over the past decade, particularly over the past five years, the petrochemical industry, along with the rest of the fossil fuel industry globally, domestically, and in Appalachia, has undergone rapid transition. The future of these industries has become increasingly risky. Projects that were promised as part of the petrochemical renaissance, like the proposed PTT Global Chemical petrochemical plant in Belmont County, Ohio remain stalled, leaving the malfunction-ridden Shell ethane cracker in Beaver County, Pennsylvania as the only major new petrochemical project to break ground in the region. Several factors are contributing to these dynamics. Bans on plastic bags and other single-use products are sweeping the globe, part and parcel of a growing global movement against plastic consumption. The push to ban disposable plastic products comes from a groundswell of public support for limiting plastic use. In the US and around the world, public opinion polling shows widespread concern about the problems posed by plastics. And, a surprising number of consumer brands and packaging companies plan to sharply reduce their use of “virgin” plastic made from fossil fuels. The largest US trade association for manufacturers of packaged consumer goods, the Consumer Brands Association, is pledging to increase recyclable content in plastic.
About the Speaker:
Joanne Kilgour, Esq. is the executive director of the Ohio River Valley Institute, an independent research center serving Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Joanne is an environmental lawyer and nonprofit professional with a passion for justice and democracy. Informed by her work with the Center for Coalfield Justice and the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter, Joanne is committed to securing social, economic, and environmental policies that support communities while demanding long-term structural change.