CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A local union in the Kanawha Valley is protesting the construction of U.S. Methanol plant in Institute, wanting the jobs to stay local and raising safety concerns.
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 625 led protests on Thursday at the plant site and in front of the company’s office in downtown Charleston.
Gary McCallister, a local construction worker from Alum Creek told MetroNews at the protest in Charleston that the project at U.S. Methanol’s Liberty One plant raises a lot of red flags including being multiple years behind, over budget and not having skilled workers.
“US Methanol is bringing in an old plant from Brazil and they are going to input workers from out of the country and states like Louisiana, unskilled workers to put it together,” he said while holding a ‘Local Jobs for Local Workers’ sign.
The project was initially anticipated for a production start of mid-2018, then shifted to late 2019. According to a U.S. Methanol spokesperson, the plant that is estimated to produce 200,000 metric tons of methanol annually, does not have a firm start date.
“They (U.S. Methanol) are moving toward that direction, but have not set the date. They are working to finalize that but are eager to get the facility constructed,” Mary Green representing the company said.
U.S. Methanol also released a statement to MetroNews on Thursday about it’s hiring for the project. In 2019, Bilfinger-Westcon which is based in North Dakota and a location in Louisiana, was awarded the contract to rebuild the plant. A contract was also rewarded to MMR Constructors out of Louisiana.
Liberty One will consist of parts from a deconstructed methanol production plant from Rio De Janerio.
The company said, “Unfortunately, misinformation was shared about the US Methanol Liberty-1 Project that relates to contractor hiring practices. That information was communicated to the public without talking to US Methanol and without knowing the facts.
“Since beginning construction, US Methanol has sought the best personnel for the work. As a result, the company has utilized those in trade organizations and those who are not and will continue this approach when the company resumes construction in the near future.
“US Methanol is committed to this project and to becoming the most reliable producer and supplier of methanol in a manner that is safe and environmentally friendly. This commitment began with construction and continues. Because of this, US Methanol is dedicated to communicating about its project in a manner that addresses questions and issues when they are brought to our attention. This commitment remains and will continue as we move into production.”
McCallister, who has worked in local construction for over 30 years, said they just want local jobs for local people. He said with COVID-19 and recent economic shifts, they are plenty of West Virginians needing work that is estimated to use up to 300 workers.
“The coal has left. We have thousands of coal miners displaced, they could be properly trained to work on this. We have construction workers leaving this state to find work,” he said.
Protestors also said there is concern bringing in a few hundred out-of-state workers during the health pandemic.
“They are coming from a hot spot. We are concerned for them to bring the COVID-19 and having a major outbreak with that,” McCallister said.