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Economic Rebirth

IT HASN’T been the best of times for Monroe County.

The county saw its biggest employer (Ormet Corp.) cease operating in 2013. It was a painful blow to the local economy as nearly 1,000 well-paying jobs were eliminated.

Currently, the county is watching a school district dispute play out, as the Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education has voted to close Beallsville High School. The Beallsville community is waging a fierce battle to reverse that decision.

So it is safe to say Monroe County was in line for a dose of good news. It came in the form of a billion dollar ethylene/plyethylene production facility.

That is a potent shot-in-the-arm, not only for the county but the entire region.

The ethane cracker plant is being developed under the auspices of Appalachian Resins Inc. If it comes to fruition, it would mean a possible economic renaissance for Monroe County and surrounding areas.

The projected start-up date is 2018 and the facility will be situated near the Ohio River in Salem Township.

A plant of such magnitude is an economic game-changer for the Ohio Valley. It will help wash away the gloom and doom brought about when Ormet shuttered operations.

The Monroe County Port Authority and the county commissioners need to work in tandem and passionately to help seal the deal. Should a billion dollar cracker plant become reality, Monroe County will be on the threshold of an economic rebirth.

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