April 14, 2026

A reflection by Clara Jane Mack (STOP Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, 2026)

My sophomore year, it was a classmate who first introduced me to the Shell Ethane Cracker Plant on the Ohio River. In my Environmental Law and Policy class, I joined a group research project focusing on plastic pellet pollution and producer responsibility. My experience writing that research paper led to an internship mapping the presence of pellets or “nurdles” around Allegheny watersheds, and the negative health impacts of microplastics on the human body for a risk assessments course. My entire life, I knew that I wanted to work within the environmental sector, but this exploration into plastic and finding ways to keep companies responsible became the new focus of my work. 

Pittsburgh is a hub for plastic production after the opening of the Shell Ethane Cracker Plant on the Ohio River. The opening of the cracker plant in November of 2022 drew the attention of environmentalists throughout the area to organize community discussions and protests, and even led environmental groups such as the Clean Air Council and the Environmental Integrity Project to file lawsuits for violations of air permits. Countless groups of students and organizers alike have rallied against this aspect of the petrochemical industry since the beginning of the plant’s operation.

After joining the STOP Fellowship, I was paired with Brooke Helmick, the Director of Policy for the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, as my mentor. My focus turned from simply looking at the beginning of the plastic life cycle in Pittsburgh to the expanded view of the journey plastic takes, from its extraction to production to disposal. 

Incineration is a false solution to the current Global Waste Crisis. Companies like Covanta, or newly “ReWorld,” label incinerators as a “waste-to-energy” process that can alleviate the burden upon landfills without fully explaining to citizens how the fumes produced from these incinerators contain harmful toxins and that the energy produced is negligible in comparison to the energy it takes to run a facility. ReWorld has 36 incinerators across the country, four in New Jersey, and their largest incinerator is in Chester City, Pennsylvania. 

Businesses such as Covanata/ReWorld intend on greenwashing, a practice where companies pretend to be doing more for the environment than they actually are, to fly under the radar. On top of the false labeling, incinerators are often placed in over-burdened communities struggling with excess pollution from other industrial activity. These "sacrifice zones” are targeted for economic exploitation because companies understand how much pressure people are already under. Being from eastern Pennsylvania, I have seen with my own eyes how close the Delaware Valley incinerator is to the Philadelphia International Airport and other major industrial sites. This issue with purposeful placement and intentional greenwashing is not only happening in Pennsylvania but in New Jersey as well.

The site I focused on with Brooke was the Ironbound community, right inside of Newark. From Pittsburgh to Newark, Environmental Justice communities struggle against these major corporations to stop the further pollution of their neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces. Though I had never been to the Ironbound before, I learned from community members about the vast history of community organizing over the past couple of decades. The Ironbound Community Corporation, founded in 1969, continuously stands up to injustice facing their community. Both NJEJA and ICC aim to inspire and empower New Jersey residents to stand up for the clean environment that they are intrinsically entitled to, regardless of race, class, or gender. The ReWorld incinerator in the Ironbound has a history of collecting $30 million in 'clean' energy subsidies since 2004, despite violating air permits over 1,700 times, and poses a strong threat to the environmental and community safety for residents in Newark and surrounding areas.

On March 24th, NJEJA and the ICC partnered to host a Community Waste Justice Listening session for Ironbound community members to discuss the ReWorld/Covanta incinerator. Though it began with a traditional slideshow presentation, the session quickly became more interactive for the members involved. This event was not a lecture; it was a conversation filled with questions, comments, and stories. Nothing was more inspiring than hearing directly from residents about how they have worked to shut down incinerators in the past, understanding how difficult it can be to fight against large corporations.

During this STOP fellowship, my role became to produce plastic-related educational materials to be dispersed at the Community Waste Justice Listening session. I understood that I could contribute to this conversation around incineration, not only from the perspective of someone familiar with the negative health impact (i.e., exposure to microplastic from incinerators), but as someone familiar with the entire plastic life cycle. More importantly, I understood not only how pivotal collaboration between similar organizations can be when combating larger industries like ReWorld/Covanta, but how community pressure can impact the petrochemical industry.

As I have mentioned before, The Shell Cracker Plant has a history of permit violations and a general disregard for the environment. The experience I gained in community organizing throughout Newark is an aspect of intervention I want to seek out in my area. Educational community events can be an important first step in citizens wanting to learn more about the industries that surround their home and how they can oppose further pollution. Moving forward this summer, I want to involve myself in ways I can oppose the production of plastic around my community in Pittsburgh, such as continuing to produce materials for people to understand what is threatening their health and the clean environment they are intrinsically entitled to.