Committee Aims to Gather Testimony and Information on How Closing PES Facility Will Impact Philly

This Wednesday, the City of Philadelphia announced the dates for the recently formed PES Refinery Advisory Group’s first three public meetings.

The Advisory Group was first formed after the June 21st fire at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery. Philadelphia Mayor Kenney called for the convening of an advisory group of stakeholders with diverse experience, knowledge, and perspectives on the refinery site and operations to better inform how the city government should approach the future use of the site.

Specifically, the group will advise City leaders on how the closure of the PES facility will impact the economy, environment, public health, and safety of Philadelphia and its residents.

Additional meetings beyond the first three will be scheduled and announced in the weeks ahead. Future meeting dates and locations, as well as informational updates about the work of the Refinery Advisory Group, will be made available at www.phila.gov/refinery. 

Here are the dates and times for the first three public meetings:

• Tuesday, August 6 at 5:30 pm: City staff will provide an introductory overview of the Refinery Advisory Group, give a brief presentation about the refinery site, and discuss the structure of future Advisory Group meetings. Public comments that are limited to these topics will be welcomed at the end of the meeting.

• Tuesday, August 20 at 5:30 pm: Community Committee

• Tuesday, August 27 at 5:30 pm: Environmental and Academic Committee

All three of these meetings are open to the public and will be held at Preparatory Charter School (1928 Point Breeze Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19145)

Registration is not required, but community members who plan to attend are encouraged to RSVP by emailing refinery@phila.gov.

Members of the public who are interested in presenting at one of these three meetings are strongly encouraged to register in advance at the same email address above.

Looking for more information about the Advisory Group and updates on its work?

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Madeleine Jones, who goes by her last name, is the Editorial Intern at Green Philly. She is new to Philadelphia and recently graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, with a bachelor's in Environmental Studies and International Studies. Jones spends her free time with her nose buried in books, sampling Philly's vegan restaurants, fawning over her pet mouse, and filling out job applications. View all posts by Jones