Commissioner cites Wall Street Journal reports on possible Shell divestments; officials note limited local authority over private sales

Commissioner Manning told the March 5 Beaver County commissioners work session that news reports, including the Wall Street Journal, have said Shell is considering selling chemical assets in Europe and the United States and that potential buyers could include private equity or Middle Eastern firms.

Manning said the plant in the region had opened recently with a reported construction cost of about $14 billion and that Shell is reviewing a portfolio of assets that could be divested. He cautioned that whether the site is sold and to whom is a private decision by property owners and said county officials do not have authority to prevent a private sale so long as permits and state or federal requirements are met. "That is not up to us...property owners have property rights, and they can pretty much do what they want with that land as long as it meets permits and DEP requirements and all those kinds of things," Manning said.

An audience participant asked about solar development and long-term remediation or "exit strategy" for sites. A county speaker noted that a solar field called BE Pines exists on a reclaimed mine site nearby and that the new owners of the Bruce Mansfield site had been clearing trees for future development; the speaker said site use and cleanup are subject to local zoning and permitting processes.

No county action or directive related to the potential Shell asset sales was recorded at the meeting. Commissioners said federal or permitting authorities could affect industrial redevelopment and that private property rights limit the county’s ability to block a sale absent permitting or legal reasons.

Follow-up: commissioners said they would monitor news coverage and noted that federal, state and permitting processes would govern future uses of large industrial parcels.