Shell Chemicals to bring back 200 more workers to its ethane cracker site in Beaver County

Shell Chemicals confirmed that it will bring back about 200 employees next week to assist with operations at its ethane cracker construction site in Beaver County.

Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning told the Tribune-Review about the company’s plans earlier Thursday.

Shell spokesman Michael Marr said there are currently fewer than 300 workers tending to the immediate needs of repairing, preserving and maintaining the site.

Marr said that will increase to about 500 workers next week.

“In the weeks ahead, we anticipate reintroducing more workers to the site, at a measured pace so we can integrate limited personnel onsite while maintaining social distancing guidelines,” Marr said.

He said the company will continue to review its staffing requirements week by week, while also meeting government coronavirus safety guidelines.

Marr also said the company will be changing certain procedures that drew criticism before the company made the decision to temporarily halt construction of the multibillion-dollar project last month because of coronavirus concerns.

Marr said workers will no longer be bused into the construction site from offsite parking lots. That, he said, will eliminate “a key challenge with regard to social distancing guidelines.”

Marr said that the parking arrangement “will also limit the number of workers we will be able to reintroduce to the site.”

Marr said that other procedures have been established keep workers safe, “including temperature screening before coming onsite, and lunchroom protocols that will allow workers to maintain social distancing by having one worker eat at each table.”

Beaver County government leaders called on Shell to suspend work on the project last month after fielding hundreds of calls from concerned residents, Shell employees and contractors.

Commissioner Dan Camp said his office had received more than 500 calls from people reporting crowded conditions on buses that have taken the project’s thousands of workers to and from the work site, limited hand sanitizer and other problems. About 8,500 employees worked at the site during the height of construction.

Manning on Thursday said he is comfortable with what Shell is doing, and doesn’t believe the operation poses a public safety or health risk.

Only two positive covid-19 cases were reported by the union during the height of construction, Manning said.

“I believe that Shell will set the standard for PPE and health safety in manufacturing and construction. Apparently the Commonwealth is OK with it as well,” Manning said. “As commissioners, we have no purview over the work they do. That authority rests with the commonwealth and Potter Township, who regulate and issue their permits.”

Shell applied for a business waiver request from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to remain open after Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their physical locations last month.

But DCED spokeswoman Rachel Wrigley said the company didn’t need a waiver because the operation involved construction of a cogeneration power plant, and it directly supports electrical power generation, transmission and distribution.

“The involved agencies will, of course, be closely monitoring Shell’s activities to ensure that they do not exceed the limited operations described in their exemption request,” Wrigley said.