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Voicing City Council's strong interest in and enthusiastic support of proposals to purchase the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery site that align with the City of Philadelphia's goals to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the health, safety, and welfare of Philadelphia residents.
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WHEREAS, On June 21, 2019, a fire and explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery resulted in PES closing its refinery, laying off over 1,000 highly-skilled workers, and filing for bankruptcy; and
WHEREAS, On October 16, 2019, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released a report concluding that an old, degraded pipe had thinned to the point of failure, triggering the release of hundreds of thousands of pounds of explosive substances. The investigation also confirmed the release included 5,200 pounds of hydrofluoric acid, a deadly chemical; and
WHEREAS, As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, interested bidders are required to submit proposals to purchase the refinery property by November 22, 2019 in order to qualify for the final bidding round. Bidders that qualify will have a deadline of January 10, 2020 to submit a final bid. If PES decides to hold an auction to sell the refinery, it will take place on January 17, 2020; and
WHEREAS, The PES refinery was the largest stationary source of toxic air pollution in Philadelphia and the City's single-largest industrial contributor of greenhouse gases; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the refinery's century and a half of storing and processing crude oil and petroleum products, it has heavily contaminated the soil and polluted the surrounding rivers and underlying aquifer; and
WHEREAS, The National Cancer Institute estimates that Philadelphia has the highest cancer rate of any major U.S. city; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia area has consistently failed to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone, the main constituent of smog,...
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