Future of Valley tied to Eramet

Saturday's announcement by Eramet Marietta that it plans to spend approximately $150 million for operational and environmental performance improvements at its Ohio 7 plant is welcome news for the Valley.

It's positive from the standpoint of improving our air, even as groups prepare to study the impact of manganese exposure on residents, especially children.

It's positive from an economic standpoint, as the process, in the words of CEO Frank Bjorklund, will "position Eramet Marietta as a sustainable manufacturing facility for decades to come."

That's good to hear, especially when a lot of the recent news about area plants involves them laying off workers or closing.

It was also good to see the response from Ohio Citizen Action and Neighbors for Clean Air. The groups have suspended their public campaign to motivate Eramet to "clear the air." Too many times, an issue like this can become adversarial beyond the scope of the original goal. But in taking Eramet's statement in good faith, these groups have backed up their claims that they are pro-environment, not anti-business.

And we also know that, should the company waver on its commitment to environmental improvements, the Neighbors members will make their voices heard once again.

Of course, as everyone in Washington County and the surrounding area knows, the economy can be unstable. Bjorklund's statement included the caveat that the vision is contingent on market support, financial performance, regulatory approvals and more.

We urge our state and local government officials to work with the company to make their goals a reality. If everything goes according to plan, it will benefit Eramet, its workers and its neighbors.