BELLAIRE, Ohio (WTRF) – Despite freezing rain, Concerned Ohio River Residents held an informational picket at 26th Street in Bellaire on Saturday morning.

The group carried banners that read “The Ohio Valley Deserves Better” and “No PTTGC Cracker Plant.”

These concerned residents argue that the proposed Belmont County ethane cracker plant would produce compounds that are known to cause cancer.

The information that we’ve been sold tells you this cracker plant is great, but the economics just aren’t there. We lost more than 3,000 jobs when our hospitals closed. This plant isn’t going to come close to that. Plastics and fossil fuels are on the decline. This is not the industry that we want to be investing in.

Dr. Vincent DeGeorge, Research Scientist

The cracker plant is going to produce single-use plastic that we already have too much of. All one has to do is drive around any road in this valley or anyplace else in the United States and we’ve got plastic everywhere.

Rob Reed, CORR Member

Concerned Ohio River Residents say we need a sustainable, clean industry and not one that produces harmful chemicals that affect people’s health for generations to come.

Their peaceful protest was held from 11 a.m. to noon.

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