Sale of Refinery to Redeveloper Gives Reasons for Optimism about a Cleaner, Safer Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 22, 2020) – A filing in Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday morning confirmed that Hilco Redevelopment Partners bested a refinery proposal to win the auction to purchase the shuttered Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery. Hilco has a record of redeveloping obsolete industrial sites into logistics hubs and lighter industrial and commercial uses. The refinery on the two-square-mile site has been polluting the surrounding neighborhoods since the Civil War. Since the refinery shut down after a fire and explosion in June, residents and advocates have been calling for a cleaner and safer use of the property.

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement:

“With Hilco’s proposal likely to be approved by the bankruptcy court, we are cautiously optimistic about the opportunity for the site to be much less polluting than its previous use as a refinery. The public must now do everything it can to hold Hilco accountable for developing the cleanest and safest uses possible at the site. Clean Air Council urges Hilco to reach out to stakeholders, including environmentalists and nearby neighbors, to work with them on the future use of the site.”