Congresswoman Scanlon Releases Statement on Looming PES Closure
Washington, DC,
June 26, 2019
Today, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon released the following statement to address reports regarding the future of Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), its workforce, and the surrounding community: “Immediately following the incident at PES last week, our office joined a call with representatives from PES, Mayor Jim Kenney’s office, and local elected officials. We have now learned that PES will likely close in the coming weeks, which will have an immediate impact on the workers, their families, and our region. First and foremost, our office is working to ensure that the workers who will be impacted by this closure, and their families, are supported and protected, and will have access to the resources that they need. We’ve been in touch with United Steelworkers (USW) and local labor leaders, and are planning to convene a community listening session in the coming days. We will be sure to notify workers, local elected officials, and the community of this event once details are finalized. Our office has also been in touch with clean air organizations, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure that the investigations into this incident are thorough and will not be impacted by the refinery’s plans to close. These investigations are critical for understanding the causes of the incident, the health and safety implications, and help to inform future policy. These investigations will take time. The immediate loss of these jobs will be felt by our neighbors and by our community. I strongly believe in transparency and accountability. Once these investigations are complete, parties found responsible must be held accountable and appropriate actions must be taken to remedy this situation and the impact this incident has had on the workers and our region. I will continue these conversations and our office is committed to updating the public as more information becomes available.” ### |
