As PTT Global Chemical searches for a new financial partner to start construction on a new cracker plant just south of Shadyside, residents in the town are excited for PTT Global Chemical to invest $38 million to the Shadyside School District with the hopes residents forget their life expectancy will drop with the new plant.
The proposed cracker plant would be located in Dilles Bottom, just a short distance from Shadyside, Ohio.
Several residents are excited for the possibility of new job opportunities.
“This area really needs these jobs,” said Shadyside resident Jimmy May. “There’s not much going on here anyways. You can go to one bar and eat deep fried food or go to the other bar and eat deep fried food. So I’m cool with lowering my life expectancy 10-20 years so we can have new jobs.”
According to studies, pollution from a cracker plant can cause serious health problems, especially to residents who live within 5 miles of a cracker plant. Health problems include asthma, lung and respiratory infections and neurological and cardiovascular problems. Prolonged exposure can cause cancer.
“We know people, especially in small towns with little work, are OK with sacrificing their health and safety if it means more jobs,” PTT Global Chemical released in a statement about their investment into a new proposed school for Shadyside.
An official with PTT Global Chemical added that when the proposed cracker plant is built, they’ll most likely hire most people out of state so they don’t have to worry about training new staff and that should piss off locals more than their lower air and water quality.
Shadyside School District’s Superintendent John Haswell said they’re very hopeful the cracker plant comes to fruition. “We’re confident enough that we’ve already designed a new Shadyside Tigers logo. It’s the same classic logo that residents who never move out of town love, but we’ve added an inhaler to the tiger’s mouth.”
