Linde proposes air‑separation plant in Northampton County; commissioners set public hearing on inducements

Linde (presented as "Lindy" during the session) described Project Opal, a proposed air‑separation manufacturing facility sited in the county's commerce park that would extract oxygen, nitrogen and argon from ambient air for industrial customers.

"This project in itself will be over $70,000,000 to construct the facility," Mike Ashton, Linde's government relations representative, told the commissioners, and county staff later characterized the minimum investment as $75,000,000. Company materials presented to the board project roughly 20 full‑time jobs at an average salary of about $87,000 and described a construction timeline that could begin in 2027 with operations around 2028.

Ashton described the process as physical separation through compression and cryogenic cooling, saying no chemical catalysts are used, and he said the company would store and distribute product by truck. He also addressed environmental and safety questions: the presentation said the plant does not require an air‑emissions permit because it vents separated gases back to atmosphere, but a stormwater permit and water‑use authorizations will be required because construction will disturb over an acre and potable water will be used in cooling towers.

County economic development staff presented a proposed incentive package and a draft community impact agreement. The inducement package staff described includes a five‑year tax rebate valued at about $2.4 million (starting at 85% in year one) and referenced $3 million in state infrastructure funding from the Department of Commerce and the Golden Leaf Foundation. The community impact agreement would require local hiring efforts, workforce development partnerships with the community college, and a commitment to contribute $28,000 annually over six years to public‑education and economic development initiatives.

County staff said the inducement agreement will include reporting requirements and performance conditions: Linde would be required to maintain proposed jobs and the minimum capital investment and report annually to Northampton County. Staff emphasized that a public hearing has been scheduled for June 1 to receive comments before any final board action on the inducement and community impact agreements.

Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about water use for cooling towers, truck traffic (staff estimated about 20 trucks per day at full operation), noise mitigation, and community outreach. Reverend Sharon Boyce and other speakers had earlier expressed concern about large data centers and water use; similar water‑use questions surfaced during the Linde discussion. Company and staff responses noted monitoring and permit compliance and said the county's commerce park has the capacity for increased utility demand.

Next steps: the county will hold a public hearing on June 1. Staff said the inducement agreement contains clawbacks and reporting obligations, and the board will take formal action only after the public hearing and any negotiated final changes.