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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has fined Shell $15 million for air quality violations at its Monaca, Pa. plastics plant.
The agency says between 2023 and August 2026, Shell’s plant, called an ethane cracker, exceeded limits on visible emissions set by its state-issued air permit on more than two dozen occasions.
According to a consent agreement signed by the company Friday, the plant also went over the allowable limit for benzene, a carcinogen, and it failed to perform testing required by the state.
The DEP found that the plant is currently exceeding the amount of nitrogen oxides, a precursor to smog, a lung irritant, allowed in its permit. The company said the plant is exceeding its limits because it needs to add more fuel to its flares to meet new federal air pollution standards. The company is applying for a new permit that would increase the amount of nitrogen oxides it can emit.
Half of the $15 million in penalties will go toward a Beaver County Environment and Community Fund, which will support “projects that benefit the environment, health, natural resources, public safety and small businesses in Beaver County,” the DEP said in a statement.
“DEP is continuing to hold Shell accountable for air quality violations and continuing to secure resources to improve the neighboring communities,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley, in the statement.
The Shell plant makes plastics out of the region’s natural gas, and was built with help from a $1.65 billion state tax credit, the largest in Pennsylvania’s history.
In 2023, the state fined the company $10 million for air quality violations related to its startup.
In addition to the latest fine, the company also agreed to make improvements to reduce pollution in the future.
“We have finalized an agreement that addresses environmental compliance matters and includes funding that will benefit Beaver County residents,” said a Shell spokesperson, in a statement. “We remain committed to operating responsibly and being a good neighbor in the community.”
Environmental groups said the latest fine was insignificant for a company of Shell’s size, which recorded a $9.8 billion quarterly profit in June, its second highest ever, thanks largely to high gasoline prices caused by the Iran War.
“No amount of money can undo harm to someone’s health, and for a company of this size, accountability has to mean more than writing a check,” said Hilary Flint, of the Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community.
“This agreement exists because Beaver County residents spent years paying attention, documenting problems, reporting what they were experiencing, and refusing to let violations become business as usual.”
Reid R. Frazier covers energy for The Allegheny Front.
