Sounds like the scheme is to keep the lucrative arrangement of a toll road, but without the cost — and job benefit — of having toll collectors there. I’ve noticed that tollbooths set up to pay for road construction are never taken down after the cost is paid for — once there is a money spigot into a state government, they are extremely loath to shut it off.

Mary Wildfire

I found contact info for the news station that posted this piece, and sent this letter:

“I’m writing to complain about the news story linked in the subject line. It reflects an artificial world, a world of the past, when a new factory that would provide jobs was all good and the only issue was whether the investment firm could operate profitably. There is no mention of the global antiplastics movement, the increasing evidence that the residue of the past several decades’ release of plastic into the world in having dire environmental and health consequences, or the opposition to this proposed plant. it’s as one-sided as if it came from a PR release… perhaps it did?”

Mary Wildfire, Roane County, WV

NOTE ~ WHEC News 10 is the NBC affiliated television station in Rochester, NY, that distributed the AP article written in Cleveland, OH. The writer and the broadcaster should both be aware of the horrendous problems caused by plastics worldwide and assure that their coverage output contains some recognition of these challenges. DGN

Driving back from Cleveland yesterday there were two shocking experiences. The size of the Shell Cracker Plant at Monaca as the Interstate highway approaches the Ohio River bridge is unbelievable.

Also, we were on I-376 labeled TOLL EASY-PASS ONLY. This is unAmerican for interstate travelers. We breezed right thru realizing cameras were on our case!

“What happens if I go through E-ZPass without an E-ZPass PA?
From now on, drivers who go through the E-ZPass lanes without a transponder will still get a bill in the mail, but they have 30 days in which to pay it. Failure to pay that bill means a $50 fine. Failure to pay the fine and the toll means your vehicle registration could be suspended.”

The Governor of Pennsylvania is gonna hear from me. Let’s all send him picture postcards with our comments.

Duane Nichols, Morgantown, WV