AN UNWELCOME GLOW
Generator glitch in Shell chemical plant again turns sky orange
A malfunction at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Beaver County once again lit the sky orange on Monday evening in the first incident since the company announced the start of commercial operations two weeks ago.
Shell Polymers Monaca posted on its Facebook page that “an issue with our steam generator” prompted the company to activate its ground flare system — a series of flares encased in a metal structure that looks like a sports stadium.
The flares are used to relieve pressure in the malfunctioning piece of equipment by burning off whatever is meant to flow through it.
“We didn’t lose all steam, it was just an upset in one of the areas of the plant,” said Curtis
Thomas, a spokesman for Shell.
The issue was resolved on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr. Thomas did not say what specifically was being burned off, other than that it’s hydrocarbons.
Residents nearby posted photos of the flame and its eerie halo in the sky and
wondered why there are already system glitches so soon after the plant’s startup.
Such incidents aren’t unusual.
“During this initial commissioning, startup and achieving normal operations, we are going to have issues that arise, just like starting up anything brand new,” Mr. Thomas said.
He said that despite the celebratory post announcing operations have commenced at the new facility — which means natural gas liquids were being processed into small plastic pellets — “We are not fully online just yet.”
Full capacity is not expected to be reached until the second half of next year.
The flare itself is not a malfunction. It is a safety device, Mr. Thomas stressed.
“Obviously, it is our goal to flare as seldom as possible,” he said.
Mr. Thomas said the company had notified the state Department of Environmental Protection, as it is required to do in the event of a malfunction.
Earlier this month, a coalition of environmental and community groups launched a campaign to publicize a socalled “community to-dolist” proposed to Shell and inspired by residents’ concerns about the facility.
The list deals with topics ranging from emergency preparedness and light pollution to the role of plastic in the environment and climate action.
“We expect Shell to notify residents in real time and with details about incidents,” Terri Baumgardner said during a virtual meeting on Nov. 21 run by the organization Eyes on Shell.
She said Shell’s details of incidents should include the cause of a malfunction, emissions produced during flaring and details on cleanup operations. Ms. Baumgardner suggested the message should be disseminated through local and social media.
Eyes on Shell said on Nov. 21 that the to-do-list has been shared with the company multiple times over several months, but Shell has not yet responded to it.
That day, Shell’s Mr. Thomas told the Post-Gazette that the company was “in the process of responding accordingly,” as it does to other community requests, like “inquires from school kids, teachers, elected officials, citizens, job seekers, those congratulating Shell on a job well done, nonprofit groups seeking funds, invitations to present to the public and questions from interested groups and the media on a daily basis.”