Authorizing City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to examine the status of the Sunoco refinery in South Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Sunoco has already idled its refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania and may shut down its refinery in Philadelphia if it cannot find a buyer for the facility in the near future; and

WHEREAS, ConocoPhillips has ceased producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at its refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, The refineries in Marcus Hook, Trainer, and Philadelphia comprise approximately fifty percent of the refining capacity in the Northeastern United States, the absence of which could raise fuel prices and increase the East Coast's dependence on imported fuel; and

WHEREAS, These refineries are situated within a twelve mile radius of one another. The shutdown and possible closure of these facilities could directly result in the loss of thousands of refinery jobs and tens of thousands of ancillary jobs. One study estimates that over eighteen jobs could be lost for every lost refinery job and that the area could lose more than $566 million in state and local taxes if the refineries are closed; and

WHEREAS, Most of the workers at the facilities in Trainer and Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania have already lost their employment and, according to Pennsylvania's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis's assessment, thirty nine percent of the workforce at the ConocoPhillips refinery may have a fair to difficult time finding new employment; and

WHEREAS, In February 2012, the United States Government reported that a shutdown of the Sunoco refinery in Philadelphia could result in increased diesel and gasoline prices. According to the Energy Information Administration, closure of the Philadelphia refinery would pose logistical challenges that could raise prices until the industry is able to adapt infrastructure to accommodate for the absence of the Philadelphia refinery, which could take a year or more; and

WHEREAS; On March 19, 2012, The United States House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a field hearing to examine the implications of refinery closures for United States homeland security and critical infrastructure safety; and

WHEREAS; The fate of the Sunoco refinery in Philadelphia, including any future plan for the suspension or termination of operations, has implications for the environment and the health of the residents of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The status of the Sunoco refinery in Philadelphia is of great concern to the City of Philadelphia because a shutdown could result in the loss of several thousands of jobs for Philadelphia residents, many of whom could have difficulty finding re-employment; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities is hereby authorized to hold hearings to examine the status of the Sunoco refinery in South Philadelphia.

End