After years of construction, Shell ethane cracker starts up

MONACA, Pa. (AP) — Years in the works, a massive petrochemical refinery in western Pennsylvania fed by the vast natural gas reservoir underneath Appalachia is fully operational. Oil and gas giant Shell plc said Tuesday that the refinery will produce 3.5 billion pounds of polyethylene annually when it ramps up to full production by the second half of 2023. It is built on the site of a former zinc smelter along the Ohio River some 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The refinery produces ethylene, which is used to produce everything from plastics to tires to antifreeze. Environmental advocacy groups predict that it’ll generate more plastic pollution, compounds that form smog and planet-warming greenhouse gases.