West Virginia and other Appalachian states could become the nation's second-largest center of U.S. petrochemical and plastic resin manufacturing after the Gulf Coast, according to a report recently issued by the American Chemistry Council.

The report, which was shared with West Virginia's congressional delegation in May, lays out a hypothetical scenario to turn West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky into a center for petrochemical manufacturing. Among ACC's suggestions are the development of a storage hub for natural gas liquids and chemicals and a 500-mile pipeline distribution network.

"The Appalachian region has distinct benefits that could make it a major petrochemical and plastic resin-producing zone," ACC CEO Cal Dooley said. "Proximity to a world-class supply of raw materials from the Marcellus/Utica and Rogersville shale formations and to the manufacturing markets of the Midwest and East Coast has already led several companies to announce investment projects, and there is potential for a great deal more."

Appalachia currently is one of the poorest regions in the U.S. In recent years, West Virginia and other states have been hit hard by the decline of the coal industry. http://bit.ly/2rttc7B

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