"Efforts to expand production and exports of ethane—a natural gas byproduct used to make plastics—were criticized by groups that told the Department of Energy Tuesday that any job gains wouldn’t benefit regions bearing the brunt of environmental damage.

The comments came during an online hearing to help the Energy Department produce a study on the environmental, health, and various local impacts of ethane processing and distribution, as well as the potential economic benefits of increasing production, including more exports.

The study, led by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, was mandated by Congress and set to be completed by the end of the year.

U.S. ethane production has nearly doubled since 2013 and is projected to continue increasing to meet rising global demand for petrochemicals, particularly plastics production, according to the Energy Information Administration, DOE’s statistical arm."

Dean Scott reports for Bloomberg Environment August 24, 2021. [2]