Shell plant

SEWICKLEY − Due to popular demand, another theater screening has been added for a documentary exploring a petrochemical-dense region of Louisiana and possible parallels to the Shell ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.

"Boom & Bust: A Journey from Beaver County to the Gulf Coast Region" will screen 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Tull Family Theater, 418 Walnut St., Sewickley. Admission is free but registration is required at eventbrite.com

Since the film premiered in July, nearly 900 people have registered to watch the documentary, including dozens from across the country who have streamed it virtually.

The 1.5-hour film, created by RiverWise's Director of Communication Christopher Padgett, in association with New Sun Rising, raises questions about the future health and vitality of Beaver County as a result of the construction of Shell's plant. The factory is set to go fully online within days.

The documentary follows Beaver County stakeholders as they talk with and learn from advocates, residents and leaders living in Louisiana's Gulf Coast, nicknamed "Cancer Alley." One group featured in the film is Rise St. James, which fought against an influx in petrochemical facilities in St. James Parish, La. The organization, along with many others, last week successfully won a lawsuit against an affiliate of Formosa Plastics, a Taiwan-based petrochemical corporation, stalling a $9.4 billion petrochemical plant from being built.

"The process of releasing ‘Boom and Bust’ has been both informative and encouraging," Daniel Rossi-Keen, executive director of RiverWise, said in a news release. "Along the way, we have experienced a wide array of responses to the film from nearly all sectors of society. In the process, we have learned an incredible amount about our region. We have also gained greater insight into the varied motivations that individuals hold and the views they have about how best to plan for Beaver County's future."

Framed around what the future of petrochemicals could mean for Beaver County, "Boom & Bust" aims to pose nuanced questions for further community conversation.

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At prior screenings, RiverWise, a Beaver County sustainable community development nonprofit, and New Sun Rising, a Millvale-based funding and data utilization agency, actively solicited feedback from viewers.

That data will be used to plan subsequent public meetings where individuals and organizations can reflect on what can be learned, and how to organize community power and a stronger voice moving forward. These events will be held in the last quarter of 2022, with more details forthcoming.

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"So often community decision making fails to take into account the interests and motivations of the public," Scott Wolovich, executive director of New Sun Rising, said via news release. "By releasing ‘Boom and Bust’ and by actively soliciting participant feedback, we have worked to elevate the voices of those most affected by industry. In the coming weeks we will be announcing next steps in that process and inviting the public to participate in these future gatherings."

Rossi-Keen added, "What is more evident than ever before is that we need to continue coming together to organizeindividuals and organizations to bring about the best possible version of Beaver County's future."For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest screenings of "Boom and Bust," visit getriverwise.com.