The decision on whether to build a multi-billion-dollar cracker plant in eastern Ohio is expected by the end of March and key environmental permits may already be in place.
The Ohio EPA issued wastewater discharge permits and a water quality certification for the Belmont County comple xlast week. Deputy Director Heidi Griesmer says that leaves just a few regulatory issues to resolve.
“We are still evaluating the air-pollution permit. Once we’re ready to move forward on that we’ll release a draft and have another public hearing.
"Part of the property used to be a coal-burning power plant. That has been dismantled and they’re taking it through our voluntary cleanup program., so that is something else we’re looking at.”
That was FirstEnergy’s Burger generating plant.
The cracker which PTT Global of Thailand may build would process Utica shale ethane into ethylene for the plastics industry. The company has said it wants to make a decision on the plant this quarter.
