(Publisher’s Note: This article was one of the first to publish on LEDE News and that’s because it has the potential of altering the economy in the Upper Ohio Valley … IF. That is, IF it takes place. Recently, the superintendent of Shadyside Schools released an image and description of what could be, a $42 million education complex for future children in the village, and the best way to go about it is IF the global corporation, PTT Global America, agrees to building a $10 billion petrochemical “cracker” plant in the Dilles Bottom area of Belmont County. What was true, however, nearly three years ago, remains true today and the “trigger” to move forward remains to be touched.)
อึหรือออกจากหม้อ!
Or … 똥이나 냄비에서 내려 !
Want a clue? It’s what the majority of residents throughout the Upper Ohio Valley are muttering to the folks involved with the possible development of a petrochemical “cracker” plant in southeast Belmont County.
“Poop or get off the pot!”
Some even include a, “damnit” at the end, especially the people who live within intimate proximity of the proposed construction zone and have yet to agree with PTT Global-America negotiators who, thus far, have offered only market value. Many have entered into agreements, according to Dilles Bottom resident Bill Rayls, but those deals included 10 percent up front and the rest of the cash only after a final financial decision is made by the PTT conglomerate.
It’s been two years since the local media visited with the Rayls family, and more than 12 months have passed since they have had contact with negotiators representing the Thailand-based corporation. It’s Bill and Tonya, and their children: 3-year-old Kennedy, 4-year-old Brantley, and 18-year-old Desirae Harris. And all five would love a hint of the future.
Related: Gone Forever
“We’ve not heard from them for more than a year,” Rayls reported. “It’s been five years since they first made contact with us, and they have made offers that we have rejected, but there’s been nothing much for about a year, and our attorney thinks they are having problems with financing.
“They did release a new design that showed they would build around us and the others, but we just took that as an attempt at intimidation, and it didn’t work,” he explained. “But they are moving earth here, that’s for sure, and the dust is brutal. It’s taking place all day long, five or six days per week. When I spoke to one of the guys, he said he’d been told he’d be down here moving earth for two to four years, so who knows what’s really going on?”
The pieces of the puzzle have been coming together the last three years with Belmont County receiving millions of dollars in federal grants for water, sewer, and railway upgrades, JobsOhio is subsidizing the current earthwork at the site, and the Environmental Protection Agency granted all necessary permits. The final piece, it seems, is a “yes” from PTT Global-America and its partner, Daelim Industrial.
“Something is going to happen here, and it’s going to happen soon. If it’s PTT, fine, and if that’s the case, I’ll hope for a better offer,” Rayls said. “As much as I wouldn’t want to see all of our hard work go to waste, I also don’t want my kids growing up next to a cracker plant.”
Old but Cheap
A “cracker plant” seems sensible for this region because of the robust supply of natural gas and oil now being harvested in east Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and in more than 20 counties in West Virginia. Industry experts have referred to these areas as the “Saudi Arabia of America” because of what has been discovered thus far in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays.
Construction is well under way in Beaver County, Pa., on a similar plant that is being developed by the Shell Oil Company. The project is likely to cost as much as $6 billion, but what PTT has planned in Belmont County is much larger and would come with a $10 billion price tag.
“I’ll be honest. It took us a little while to wrap our heads around it,” Rayls admitted. “The announcement came at a time when a lot of development was taking place on both sides of the river, and I even got a job working for Williams Energy in Marshall County.
“But a cracker plant? That was something I think a lot of people had to look up,” he said. “And then we started hearing about what would follow a cracker plant, and based on what’s been happening up in Beaver County, it appears a lot of other industries follow them.”
Such a plant takes oil and gas and dissects them to create smaller molecules to create ethylene which is used in plastics manufacturing plastics.
“We own a couple of houses in upper Dilles, too, and we have been contacted by people who have told us they are interested in a lot of land close to where the cracker would be built. For what, we don’t know, but if it’s connected to plastics, it would make sense.
“Right now, I guess you can call it a waiting game,” he said. “And yes, it’s been frustrating.”
Some will tell you Bill’s family home in lower Dilles is the oldest in Belmont County, but his research has led him to believe it’s one of the top five, but likely not the elder of all. The 37-year-old loves what he calls “older stuff,” and when he was approved for a bank loan to purchase the property in Dilles Bottom, he didn’t hesitate.
“My dad thought I was crazy,” Rayls said with a laugh. “The house really wasn’t in good shape at all. It had sat empty for a while, but when you’re young and you don’t have any savings to speak of, you take those kinds of chances.
“We’ve been here 12 years now, and we’ve renovated the entire house,” he explained. “We did it room-by-room, and I did most of the work myself. Some things I had to learn how to do, but it really saved us a ton of money, and now the house is in great shape.”
But. There’s always a “but.”
“It’s getting to be the time when the house needs a new roof. All you really have to do it look at it, and feel the shingles,” Rayls said. “So, do I put a new roof on it? Do I wait to see if PTT is going to make a better offer even though we’ve heard absolutely nothing from them for more than a year? That’s where we are.
“The Lockwood family built this house back in 1860, and they had their businesses in this area, too,” he continued. “There’s even a graveyard across the street near our house, and most of the Lockwoods from back then are in there. If they end up buying everything, finally, what will they do with those graves? That’s something we all need to find out about because of the preservation of that history. They can build whatever they want, but they will never erase that history while I’m involved.”
Rebirth?
“I know in Moundsville we are looking at the potential since we’re only across the Ohio River,” explained Sara Wood, a member of the city’s City Council. “There have been a lot of different developers asking a lot of questions, and I know several realtors have been very busy showing commercial and residential properties.
“It’s exciting to think Moundsville could add population for the first time in a long time, and that’s why we are engaging the community in a lot of different ways,” he said. “We want to be ready for it so we’re not surprised with what comes with that many new people who would come in to help build it. What they have seen up in Beaver County is what we should expect, and maybe even more since this cracker down here is supposed to be bigger.”
More than 6,000 workers working with more than 10 trades are currently in place in Beaver County, and at one time there were more than 70 cranes operating simultaneously. Officials with Potter Township have been assisting elected officials in Marshall and Belmont counties.
“They’ve been great,” Wood said. “They have clued us in on housing, law enforcement, parking, rent prices, traffic … so many things, and we’re really grateful for that help.
“We keep hearing about what’s possible, and there are a lot of people who are very confident that the cracker is coming,” she continued. “But yes, I think everyone is a little anxious for one answer or the other because of the impact it would have in this area.”
Oh, the ifs.
- It would be the largest economic development project in the history of the state of Ohio;
- Once operational, the cracker plant would create more than 600 full-time positions;
- The river, the rails, and the adjacent highway would be utilized for transporting materials to and from the complex;
- Based on property purchases already finalized, much more than a cracker plant could be developed in several areas of the Upper Ohio Valley.
“It’s been frustrating. I’m not going to lie,” said Bill Helms, chief deputy of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. “We’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of different people so we could have an idea of what’s possible, and I’m telling you there’s a lot that could change here in Marshall County. For the past 10 years or so, we’ve seen well pads, industrial plants along the river and up in rural areas of the county, and a lot of new people living in rentals and in the camper parks, but this cracker plant is a game-changer in a lot of different ways.
“I believe it’s coming, but I know we just have to try to be patient,” said Helms, who is running to become the next sheriff in Marshall County. “But that’s difficult in the position I’m in because my number one priority is to keep the people of this county safe. Anytime there’s more people, it’s good for the local economy but we also see more activity that gets the attention of law enforcement. That’s just how it works.”
Dilles Bottom once was a popular spot for industry with grist and sawmills, flour factories, and a few steamboat landings for shipping and receiving, and since 1944, First Energy operated the Burger Power Plant. Company officials cited environmental regulations and economic conditions when retiring the facility in 2011. Five years later, First Energy cleared the property of all structures, including an 854-foot smokestack.
“Like I said before, something’s coming,” Rayls added. “Millions of dollars have been spent since we first heard about this project, and that doesn’t just happen. Someone knows something; we just wish they’d finally tell us.”
