Tell PA DEP Not To Allow This Dirty Petrochemical Plant To Expand!

A large petrochemical manufacturing facility, MarkWest’s Harmon Creek Gas Plant (Harmon Creek Facility), is planning to expand their operation in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is currently reviewing the related Harmon Creek Facility’s Air Quality Plan Approval permit 63-01011B. The health risks associated with the toxic plastic manufacturing emissions produced by the Harmon Creek Facility include respiratory illness and even cancer.

On February 8, 2025, DEP provided public notice of an open comment period on DEP’s Draft Air Quality Plan Approval permit for the Harmon Creek Facility, which would authorize the construction of a third cryogenic processing plant (Cryo Unit III) at that location. However, the public notice mistakenly referred to an existing cryogenic unit that was already in operation at the Harmon Creek Facility.  As such, this notice was inadequate to notify the public and the local residents of Cryo Unit III, which would serve as yet another source of dangerous pollution in Washington County, PA. Given this area’s history with environmental and public health concerns, proper public notice and ensuring residents have their voices heard should be a top priority for DEP. 

In light of DEP’s notice error, as well as the Harmon Creek Facility’s documented levels of harmful emissions, DEP should not permit this dangerous polluter to expand.

Without voices like yours telling our regulators what ethical businesses mean for Pennsylvanians, these industrial scale polluters will continue to contaminate our air and land.

The opportunity to participate and voice concerns on the public record is a critically important part of DEP’s permitting process. The current public comment period regarding DEP’s plan to permit Harmon Creek’s NEW Cryo Unit III is open until Friday March 21st, 2025. 

This Public Comment period deadline is set for March 21, 2025. If you need help submitting a comment or have questions, please email Emily Wildman at ewildman@cleanairactionfund.org.

Making your voice heard is simpler than you might think! You don't need to be an expert to exercise your civil rights in PA, but adding your voice to the conversation can have a big impact. So we urge you to join us in taking action today to ask DEP to not grant the Harmon Creek Facility a permit to construct Cryo Unit III. This expansion would bring more dangerous air pollution and perpetuate existing environmental health impacts to the Washington County, PA area residents.

There will be a public meeting followed by a public permit hearing tonight, March 11, 2025 at the Burgettstown Area Middle School/High School Campus, LGI Room, 100 Bavington Road, Burgettstown, PA 15021 from 6:30pm-8:30pm.

All are welcome and strongly encouraged to attend and/or participate by providing testimony.