\u201cShell officials stood up and said, \u2018When we turn the lights on at that facility, you’ll never recognize your community again,\u2019\u201d Rossi-Keen said.<\/p>\n
With it would come new jobs and tax revenue and prosperity, just like the old days. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted a $1.65 billion tax break,<\/a> the largest in its history. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned about this area because of the steel boom and the steel decline, I can understand why it sounded like such a great addition to the county,\u201d said Beaver County resident Joline Atkins. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t seem like the employment cash cow that it was supposed to be.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The American Chemistry Council, a trade group, estimated that ethane crackers like the one in Beaver County generate more than 17,000 direct and indirect jobs. Shell said in a statement that it employs 500 people full-time, and 400 contractors. <\/p>\n Caleigh Wells\/Marketplace<\/p>\n The American Chemistry Council, a trade group, estimated<\/a> that plants like the one in Beaver County generate more than 17,000 direct and indirect jobs. Shell said in a statement that it employs 500 people, full-time, and 400 contractors. \u201cShell\u2019s presence continues to deliver ongoing economic value in the Commonwealth,\u201d the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n The plant has faced millions of dollars in penalties<\/a> for environmental violations. Several local news outlets said Shell is trying to sell the plant, although it wouldn\u2019t confirm that.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, incomes for Beaver County residents are down<\/a> and reliance on food assistance is up.<\/p>\n \u201dIf the argument was that this was going to be a rising tide that lifted all boats, a lot of boats are doing worse off than they were in 2012,\u201d said senior economist Nick Messenger at the Ohio River Valley Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n Messenger said there are a few reasons for that. Other companies built new plants like Shell\u2019s, so there\u2019s a glut of production capacity. Meanwhile, more of us opted for reusable water bottles instead of the single-use ones made from the plant\u2019s plastic. He also said this idea of a community putting all its proverbial eggs in one basket is not a great bet.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the economics research indicates that small businesses and local businesses are actually the number one job creator in the country anywhere you go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Neighborhood North, Beaver County’s first ever children’s museum, is one of the local businesses that RiverWise is helping to get off the ground. It’s currently raising money to move into an old newspaper building that has sat empty for decades.<\/p>\n Caleigh Wells\/Marketplace<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6f4b5b-20260320-beaver-county-cracker-600.jpg\")
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