Legislators begin effort to save Phila.-area refineries
Congressmen, state and local legislators met with labor, regulators, economic development officials, and representatives from Sunoco and ConocoPhillips to help find buyers for three refineries.
Legislators begin effort to save Phila.-area refineries
Mike Armstrong, Inquirer Columnist
U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan (R., Pa.) said Wednesday he believes the two companies planning to exit refining in the Philadelphia area are serious about trying to sell their three refineries, not just shut them down.
To help in that sale process, Meehan organized a meeting at the Marcus Hook Community Center in the small Delaware County community bookended by refineries run by Sunoco Inc. and ConocoPhillips. Citing competitive pressures, both oil giants announced plans this month to sell or close their local refineries, meaning the loss of more than 2,000 jobs.
Meehan and fellow Congressmen Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, both Democrats who represent Philadelphia districts where Sunoco operates its biggest refinery, were on hand as part of an effort to show prospective buyers that labor, regulators and elected officials are eager to do what it might take to keep a major industry going in the region.
Also attending the meeting were officials from Delaware state government who shared their experiences in helping to convince a buyer to restart a Delaware City refinery that reportedly had been losing $1 million a day under Valero Energy Corp. ownership.
To lose these three refineries will be a huge loss for everybody in this region. I am glad that our political leaders are stepping in proactively to see if new buyers can be found.— portguy- Nobody will buy them and they will sit like the old Publicker facility for decades. President Sasha Obama will then declare them Superfund sites. Won't matter much because by then Philly will only have about 100K residents as everyone else moved out during the Sharif Street, Oliva Nutter and Bill Green VI administrations as mayor. The DROP program had put he city in Chapter 11 years before and all city functions stopped, except paying the union members to stay home and only come out to vote Democartic ( as specified in their contract) in a deal brokered by Bob Brady III and Vincentina Fumo.— jimmymack
- Gas and home heating oil prices will increase. This is bad for consumers and the regional economy. CITCO is a decent, public-minded company and should be courted.— damnels
Mike Armstrong blogs about Philadelphia corporations and business-related topics. Contact him at 215-854-2980.
Reach Mike at marmstrong@phillynews.com.
