Eric Harder News Today

A proposal to expand a network of biking and hiking trails through western Maryland has triggered intense opposition among hikers, whitewater rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts who might otherwise cheer the idea.

A proposal to expand a network of biking and hiking trails through western Maryland has triggered intense opposition among hikers, whitewater rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts who might otherwise cheer the idea.

A proposal to expand a network of biking and hiking trails through western Maryland has triggered intense opposition among hikers, whitewater rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts who might otherwise cheer the idea.

The new Shell cracker plant will produce tiny plastic pellets known as nurdles. The impact of the pellets ending up in waterways is causing concern among environmentalists.

Shell plans to begin operations this summer at its new industrial complex along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The plant will use ethane produced at the region’s natural gas wells to make tiny polyethylene plastic pellets, which some people call nurdles.