(File Photo of the Shell Petrochemical Plant in Monaca)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Beaver County, PA) A recent report reveals that the Shell petrochemical plant in Beaver County has failed to deliver the promised economic benefits since its announcement more than a decade ago. New findings from the Ohio River Valley Institute reveal the plastics plant hasn’t brought the economic boom, and promised jobs haven’t materialized. Eric de Place with Ohio River Valley Institute says Beaver County’s economy has performed worse than Pennsylvania as a whole as well as the nation and even its own past benchmarks. de Place points out local residents were promised an economic renaissance with thousands of jobs and increased tax revenue when Shell built its petrochemical plant, leading Pennsylvania to give the company 1.6 billion dollars in subsidies. He says it’s important for community members to demand accountability and question why Shell continues to receive taxpayer support.