Pennsylvania
New Data Shows Giant Petrochemical Plant Has Failed to Boost Local Economy – Inside Climate News
A Shell petrochemical plant in western Pennsylvania has failed to deliver many promised economic benefits to the surrounding county since it was announced more than a decade ago, according to an analysis released Friday by the Ohio River Valley Institute, a longtime critic of the project.
Beaver County, northwest of Pittsburgh, has lagged both the state and the nation in measures including growth in gross domestic product, employment and number of businesses since the company unveiled plans to build the massive $14 billion plant in 2012, the report said.
The Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) has looked at the economic ripple effects in prior reports. The new analysis for the first time included federal data on “market income”—which subtracts government payments to individuals and households, resulting in a measure of what people earn from their jobs and personal investments. The report also updated publicly available federal data that was used for the earlier reports in November 2021 and June 2023. All the latest data showed a continuation of trends identified earlier.
The report said that “by nearly every measure of economic activity, today Beaver County is worse off than it was before the Shell plant was announced in 2012. Today, Beaver County has fewer jobs, fewer businesses, and fewer residents.”
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When the ethane cracker plant was announced, it was predicted by company and state officials to create 600 permanent jobs, boost the county’s economy by up to $846 million and swell state tax revenues. The plant, on a 386-acre site beside the Ohio River about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, began operations in late 2022.
Shell spokeswoman Natalie Gunnell declined to comment on the specifics of the new report but said the plant has helped the local economy.
“In addition to paying over $52 million in taxes, royalties, and fees in Pennsylvania during the last three years, Shell has continued our focus on community through the creation of nearly 500 permanent jobs at our facility, enhancing STEM education, investing in programs to develop the local workforce, and hiring local suppliers,” she said in a statement.
The predictions of an economic boom led the state under then-Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, to grant Shell a record tax break of $1.65 billion.
The report’s co-author, Eric de Place, called the tax breaks a “sweetheart deal” for Shell but a “disaster” for Pennsylvania taxpayers.
ORVI said the plant’s economic shortcomings should prompt state and local lawmakers to look more closely at whether to support a nearby “hydrogen hub,” a federally sponsored network of hydrogen producers and consumers that has also been opposed by the think tank on the grounds that it would cost a lot of money while doing little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“As officials weigh their support for a potential buildout of hydrogen and carbon capture in the region, the facts from Beaver County should encourage state lawmakers to pause before extending future tax subsidies,” it said.
The administration of current Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, declined to comment on the new report but noted that Shell agreed in 2023 to pay almost $10 million to the state and the Beaver County community for violating air regulations, and to make repairs to prevent a recurrence of the emissions.
Between 2012 and 2023, Beaver County’s GDP dropped by just over 12 percent, the report said, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The same measure of economic activity for the state and the country rose by 16 percent and about 29 percent, respectively.
From 2012 through the beginning of 2024, the number of jobs tracked in the county by the federal Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages declined by just over 13 percent while rising by about 6 percent statewide and 16 percent nationwide, the report said.
The number of businesses in the county dropped 4 percent between 2012 and 2023 while growing substantially in the state and nation, according to the same dataset, the report said. ORVI said it used the most recent statistics for all these comparisons.
The county also lost about 5,000 people between 2012 and 2023, in contrast to gains in state and national populations. “Within months of operation, the facility exceeded its annual pollution limits; many families in the area have since fled because of the plant due to concerns about the consequences of the plant’s air, water, light and noise pollution,” the report said.
The data show that Shell’s promises that it would boost the local economy have not been met, ORVI’s report added. “One of the central selling points pitched by Shell and its investors was that the petrochemical plant would spur a ‘windfall of economic opportunity,’” the report said. “In reality, the exact opposite has occurred.”
Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning slammed the report as “utterly meaningless” and said Shell had in fact delivered on its economic promises.
“Shell put us on the map with the largest construction project to be built in Pennsylvania history since World War II,” he wrote in an email. “They kept us afloat during a global pandemic, the effect of which completely shut down most of the Commonwealth and especially Beaver County.”
In response to the report’s evidence of economic decline in Beaver County, Manning said its economy is in better shape than other parts of the region. He acknowledged that the county has lost residents in recent years but argued that the trend was probably driven by death, retirement, job moves or a search for better school districts. There is “no direct evidence” that people are leaving because of the Shell plant, he said.
He predicted the county’s economy will benefit more as the plant’s growth picks up. “This is a long-term process. We have seen more private, state and federal investments flow into Beaver County than we’ve seen in decades,” he said.
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Pennsylvania
Man arrested for allegedly posting hit list, threatening more than a dozen Pennsylvania lawmakers
LEBANON, Pa. — A Lebanon County, Pennsylvania man is charged with making terroristic threats and accused of creating a hit list of 20 Democrats, many from the Philadelphia region.
Adam Berryhill’s X handle goes by Pennsylvania Militia.
On it, state police say he posted, “I can’t wait for Memorial Day Operation.”
His thread also displayed guns, and he called local politicians gun-grabbing communists. His alleged hit list included state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of North Philadelphia.
“I’ll tell you to a certain degree, not that much shock. You know this is not the first time I’ve been the victim of threats,” Kenyatta told ABC Philadelphia affiliate WPVI.
He says the threats have no impact on his governing.
State police say among the other local Democrats named by Berryhill are congressional candidates Sharif Street, Chris Raab and others, like state Rep. Morgan Cephas.
A routine investigation by the state police detail assigned to state House Speaker Joanna McClinton led to the discovery of the alleged terroristic threats.
Berryhill was arrested and charged last week.
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“It’s not about being a Democrat or Republican or an independent. This is about American belief, that in America, Philadelphia, where it all started, that you get to say you believe without any threat of violence,” Kenyatta said.
Court records say Berryhill also criticized Republicans. In another post, he said they need to stop whining and claimed the only solution is war.
Charging documents say Berryhill has been involuntarily committed in the past and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
“It’s deeply uncomfortable for anybody to be doing a job just serving your neighbors. You did not sign up to be in the crosshairs of someone who is unhinged and violent,” Kenyatta said from his North Philadelphia district offices.
Court records say Berryhill was unable to make bail.
Calls to his public defender have not been returned.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued the following statement on the arrest:
“Today, I spoke with Speaker McClinton and Leader Costa about the terroristic threats made against members of their caucuses in the State Legislature. I told them that while these threats of political violence seek to intimidate and silence, my administration will continue to do everything in our power to keep them safe and ensure their members can continue to make their voices heard as the people’s elected representatives.
We are experiencing a dangerous rise in threats of political violence across the Commonwealth and I appreciate the quick action of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Lebanon County District Attorney to charge and arrest the perpetrator. It is also clear a better process is necessary to notify elected officials directly when these threats are made. Lt. Colonel Bivens has spoken extensively with House and Senate leadership and their teams, and the Pennsylvania State Police have instituted a new process to notify members of the General Assembly immediately and directly of any and all threats of violence against them.
It is on all of us to combat hate speech and political violence, and I call on all of my fellow Pennsylvanians and fellow leaders to stand up against this dangerous rising tide of violence we are seeing across our country.”
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Shirley Ann Dailey, 89, of Daytona Beach, Florida (formerly of Montoursville, Pennsylvania), passed away peacefully on February 23, 2026, surrounded by her family at AdventHealth Hospital in Daytona Beach.
Born December 14, 1936, in Sayre, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late John and Laura (Reinbold) White. She met the love of her life, Gordon Ell Dailey whom she shared over 60 years of marriage until his passing in 2023.
Shirley grew up in Buffalo, New York, and Dushore, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Turnpike High School in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, and continued her education with two years of college. She went on to have a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years. Her professional journey included roles with the Social Security Administration, General Motors, Pennsylvania Department of General Services, and most notably, 30 years of dedicated service with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). She served as an Administrative Assistant to the District Executive for PennDOT Engineering District 3-0. Shirley took great pride in her work and spoke fondly of her time at PennDOT throughout her retirement.
In her personal life, Shirley enjoyed collecting artwork, caring for her home, taking walks, bicycling, and vacationing with her family.
Surviving is a son, David (Crista) Dailey of Daytona Beach, Fla.; a grandson, Garrett Dailey, of Daytona Beach, Fla.; sisters, Regina (Drew) Bagley of Shunk, Pa., and Deborah (Ray) Thall of Mechanicsburg, Pa. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, Shirley was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Pier, and a brother, William White.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at McCarty-Thomas Funeral Home, 733 Broad Street, Montoursville, Pennsylvania, with Pastor David Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Twin Hills Memorial Park, Muncy. Friends may call from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at mccarthythomas.com.
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The digital-first gambling support model aims to strengthen the PA online casino industry’s overall infrastructure, including the integration of care coordination and self-help tools.
Players at Pennsylvania online casinos may soon find more responsible gaming resources thanks to a new, first-of-its kind rollout of a digital platform for gambling support known as Almond Digital Health. Approved by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, it represents the first legislative-led and funded program in the United States that aims to bolster the state’s overall gambling support infrastructure. If you’re in Pennsylvania, sign up for DraftKings Casino and get 1,000 Flex Spins:
Legislators take digital-first approach to responsible gambling
Another example of lawmakers looking to modernize responsible gambling resources among legal sportsbooks and PA online casinos, the program will offer anonymous, multilingual access to responsible gambling educational materials as well as self-help tools and connections to treatment services.
Officials called it the first legislative-backed, digital-first gambling support program of its kind in the nation, with the goal of filling gaps in access to care. That certainly created some urgency for legislators as the real money online casino and licensed sports betting industries in Pennsylvania continue to expand and grow.
The Almond Digital Health platform will be integrated into mobile casino apps, along with in-person casinos and through partnerships with universities and sports betting operators.
Ultimately, officials look to create earlier intervention opportunities to address potential gambling addictions and provide more readily available responsible gambling tools and resources. Get started at BetMGM Casino now here:
New responsible gambling initiative will complement existing resources
While the program is expected to be rolled out over the next several weeks, it is not designed to replace all of the existing tools and resources offered throughout the state and via PA online casinos. Rather, the Almond platform will act more as a complement to help fill gaps in access as the legal gambling industry continues to grow.
Kath Middleton, chief product officer of Almond Digital Health, emphasized that the platform is about “scale and access,” noting that Pennsylvania is “building an approach that works both within and outside traditional care settings.”
According to a press release, online casino gaming, sports betting, in-person gambling and the lottery has generated tens of billions of dollars in annual wagering. With that growth, officials wanted to ensure that Pennsylvanians had “practical, accessible and multilingual ways” to engage early with and understand all the available options for responsible gaming.
In rolling out the Almond program, Rep. Joe McAndrew highlighted that more and more people betting on sports or playing casino games online will be exposed to responsible gambling habits and how to prevent addiction through education – in fact, earlier than traditional resources.
It’s a practical approach, Rep. Joe Prokopiak echoed, that will provide “instant impact” for individuals struggling with addiction or at risk of developing one. “It’s an evolved issue,” Prokopiak said, which the state can now address “with an evolved solution.”
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