Shell (London; www.shell.com) has agreed to pay nearly USD 10 mn (EUR 9.3 mn) for breaking emissions rules at its Monaca polyethylene complex in the US state of Pennsylvania, according to the office of governor Josh Shapiro, which said the resin maker had formally acknowledged the violations.

The company’s Shell Chemicals Appalachia unit is to pay a fine of almost USD 5 mn to the Pennsylvania Department of the Environment and local communities, which receive 25%, the office said. USD 5 mn has been earmarked for community environmental protection projects, so municipalities in the western part of the state are to receive USD 6.2 mn. If more violations occur, further payments will be due.

Citizens’ groups have accused the plant of exceeding emissions limits. According to the oil company, some of these emissions – but not all – resulted from the start-up process.

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The governor’s office said, “Shell exceeded its rolling 12-month total emission limitations for volatile organic compounds (VOC) beginning in October 2022 through April 2023, carbon monoxide (CO) from February through March 2023, nitrogen oxides (NOx) from December 2022 through April 2023, and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from December 2022 through April 2023.”

Shell was set to restart the ethane cracker with an ethylene capacity of 1.5 mn t/y and three PE lines with a combined available output of 1.6 mn t/y, which have been shut down since March. Until normal operation, which was originally planned for mid-2023, the group must submit monthly reports on the extent of the respective emissions.