News that the Formosa Plastics  PVC site will close its doors and affect upwards of 100 workers should not come as a major surprise.

The signs were plain to see.

In a strengthening economy, the company was expanding in Louisiana and Texas,  not in Delaware.  It did not help that feedstocks for the Delaware plant were being brought in from the Sun Belt.

The Formosa plant, which was purchased from Stauffer Chemical decades ago,  has a  history of environmental problems that include groundwater contamination and an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund designation.

While the fate of the Formosa plant may have been sealed a long time ago, the Delaware City area still has potential as a location for the industrial plants of the future as natural gas feedstocks remain abundant.

Sadly, the action has been to the north in Marcus Hook, PA.

Legislation that brought badly needed reforms for the Coastal Zone Act, was passed last year. The bill  allows redevelopment of certain sites in the Delaware City and Claymont areas

Unfortunately, the wheels of government move slowly and the state may  not yet have its ducks in a row in attracting and retaining clean industry in the Coastal Zone.

Have a great weekend. The newsletter returns on Monday. – Doug Rainey, publisher