The Appalachia Storage and Trading Hub, a proposed project lead by the Appalachia Development Group LLC, cleared the first of two application phases for a $1.9 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, according to the Associated Press.
If constructed, the facility would store natural gas liquids that are used in plastics and other chemical industries.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said the storage hub would bring economic benefits to the state. But environmental and citizen groups oppose the project because of the environmental and health risks associated with the storage and transport of the liquids, plus the related increase in fracking and pipelines that would be needed to supply the industry.
— Elizabeth E. Payne
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