Community Groups Announce Opposition to Plastics Pyrolysis Plant as Proposed in Follansbee, West Virginia
Groups Vow to Fight for the Health of the Community for as Long as It Takes
For Immediate Release: December 12, 2023
Contacts:
Jessica Conard, Beyond Plastics — jessicaconard@beyondplastics.org, (614) 905-7254
Dr. Yuri Gorby, FreshWater Accountability Project — (858) 232-9688
FOLLANSBEE, W.V. — Today, community groups will hold a news conference at 5:15 p.m. prior to a public information session in Follansbee, West Virginia (Brooke County), where the private company Empire Diversified Energy presented plans to operate a new plastic pyrolysis facility.
"No community deserves the public health threats posed by pyrolysis facilities like the one proposed by Empire Diversified Energy in Follansbee,” said Jess Conard, Appalachia director for Beyond Plastics. “Companies like this one often quietly settle in vulnerable communities that are unaware of the environmental and health consequences until it's too late. Let’s not let Follanbee become a victim of industrial pollution. It’s critical that both residents and local officials here rally against this proposal."
In its early stages, Empire began construction on the pyrolysis facility to process medical waste. However, after robust community opposition, it has applied for an air quality permit modification to process plastic resin Nos. 1 through 7. The company says that it will convert plastic waste to syngas to generate electricity. Pyrolysis is a process where plastics are melted, vaporized, and turned into a synthetic fuel. Unfortunately, this process will be detrimental to the environment and to the health and safety of the surrounding communities.
"This kind of industry should not be encouraged in the valley! We finally see an improvement in air quality that will be lost because of industries like Empire that bring in noxious waste and create even more hazardous waste and toxic pollutants,” said Dr. Yuri Gorby, lead scientist at the FreshWater Accountability Project. “Residents in this valley deserve better than what they have been offered."
The community groups are attending the public meeting and posing the following questions for the company to address publicly:
Where would the plastic be imported from and how much?
How many diesel trucks will enter the facility, and which days and what hours?
What types of plastic will they be exposing to high heat?
What additional local, state, and federal permits are needed to address the air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution?
How will the pyrolysis outputs be tested to prevent contamination in the final product?
Who is financing the full project? Will public subsidies be pursued?
“The pyrolysis facility proposed in Follansbee by Empire Diversified to burn plastic waste would emit very harmful pollutants such as dioxins, PFAS, and other dangerous chemicals. This harmful air pollution could impact the entire community, especially children whose lungs and brains are still developing, increasing the risk of cancer, birth defects, developmental harm, respiratory and neurological problems,” said Rachel Meyer, Ohio River Valley field organizer at Moms Clean Air Force. “Children in Follansbee deserve to breathe clean air where they live, learn, and play.”
There are serious concerns related to plastic pyrolysis facilities as outlined in the recent report from Beyond Plastics and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), “Chemical Recycling: A Dangerous Deception: Why Chemical Recycling Won’t Solve the Plastic Pollution Problem.” To view the report, key findings, and other materials, please visit https://www.beyondplastics.org/publications/chemical-recycling
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