Belmont County Cracker Plant Moves One Step Closer to Reality

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From Columbus Business First:
A legal challenge holding up a proposed $5 billion ethane cracker plant in Belmont County has been cleared. 
Thailand-based developer PTT Global Chemical America has reached a settlement agreement with three environmental groups that will bring more pollution-detecting safeguards at the plant, ending a ten-month legal challenge before the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. 
The safeguards include enhanced leak protection, additional stack testing and publication of more data on a public website.

“We respect Sierra Club, Earthworks and FreshWater Accountability Project for working with us on this agreement,” Toasaporn Boonyapipat, president and CEO for PTTGCA, said in a statement. “The resolution of these issues is a tribute to their commitment to environmental protection. We also thank the people of the Ohio Valley community for their enthusiasm and support as we continue to work toward a final investment decision.” 
PTTGCA says a final investment decision still hasn't been made. It's working with South Korea-based Daelim Industrial Co. on the proposed 1.5 million tons-per-year plant that promises thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of full-time workers. It would be the second-largest such facility in the United States.
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