PA DEP Holds Washington Penn Plastics Accountable for Plastic Pollution in Washington County

Washington Penn Plastics (WPP) is a group of plastic production facilities that produces polyethylene and polypropylene pellets in southwest Pennsylvania.

There are three facilities located in Washington County:

• V-BAT Plastics Division Plant (“VBAT Plant”)

• Arden Plant (“Arden Plant”)

• Performance Products Division Plant (“PPD Plant”)

All three facilities were found to have plastic pellets (nurdles) escaping the facility and being released into our waterways.

PA DEP has imposed monetary fines on WPP, required improved best management practices (BMPs), and, for the first time, stated clearly that the release of nurdles into any waterway is wrong and illegal under the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. We are hopeful that these actions from PADEP can serve as an example and make it easier to hold plastic polluters accountable.

In 2023, Three Rivers Waterkeeper submitted a complaint to the PA DEP based on community reports and our observations along Chartiers Creek, urging the PA DEP to further investigate this facility and take action against the plastic pollution. During inspections, DEP observed piles of plastic pellets on the ground and deposited along streambeds during multiple visits at multiple Washington Penn Plastics facilities.