Marcus Hook, Trainer, Lower Chichester and the other communities that surround the Conoco and Sunoco refineries are understandably in shock after hearing the news that unless a new owner is found, the refineries will shut down and thousands of jobs will be lost. These are highly-skilled workers who are the best at what they do, and they are a tremendous asset to any new operator of these facilities.

These refineries are a crucial part of the local economy, and if these jobs are lost, the ramifications will be serious. Chichester School District receives nearly $4 million each year in revenue directly from the refineries, and millions more in property taxes from Sunoco and Conoco employees and contractors.

The refineries are the lifeblood of an untold number of small businesses, contractors and other firms. These businesses will all take a hit, and many of them will be forced to lay off employees of their own.

I’m working with federal, state and local officials, in addition to labor and business leaders, to aggressively pursue any option that would allow these refineries to stay in operation and save these jobs. Recently I convened a meeting of these leaders to discuss how we can leverage our region's strengths, and this group will continue moving forward to fight for the affected workers and their families.