Marcus Hook

By Carrie Lukas The deal that saved a Philadelphia oil refinery was recently touted as an example of the Obama administration's success at saving jobs. But rather than bolstering the president's credentials as a steward of the economy, the story of the Sunoco refinery exemplifies the overregulation and politicization that are crippling U.S. businesses. Last year, Sunoco, having ceased production at its refinery in nearby Marcus Hook, warned that it would have to close the Philadelphia plant due to decreased demand and increased operating costs.

A Delaware County man died and his 2-year-old child was injured when they fell from a seawall in Ocean City, Md., on Tuesday. Stephan Richard Ostan, 49, of Marcus Hook, was walking with the toddler along the wall by the inlet when they apparently fell onto rocks below. Passersby rescued the child, who was found clinging to the rocks. The child, who was not identified by police, was treated at a nearby hospital. Osten, who suffered a head injury, was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to Ocean City police.

Sunoco is moving forward with a plan to transport by-products of Marcellus Shale natural gas to Southeastern Pennsylvania by pipeline, potentially fueling new industrial development in beleaguered Marcus Hook. Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. announced on Thursday a "binding open season" for Marcellus producers to commit themselves to buying capacity on the Mariner East pipeline project. Pipeline companies typically request binding bids only when they are certain that a project will get enough commitments to proceed.

It is with a serious leap of faith — if not a plentiful supply of antacids — that small business owners take the plunge into the terrifyingly unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. But Mario Giambrone thought he was leaping into a pretty sure thing a little more than four years ago. He was opening Italiano's restaurant in Marcus Hook, a small town bursting with hungry lunch crowds. On one end was the Sunoco refinery, spread over 781 acres and employing nearly 600 people.

Another day, another refinery deal. For the third time in three months, Gov. Corbett on Wednesday stood in front of the stained steel towers of a Philadelphia-area refinery to unveil a state-subsidized deal to save jobs in the oil and petrochemical industry. The governor said the state would provide $15 million to support Braskem America Inc.'s acquisition of a chemical processing unit at Sunoco's Marcus Hook refinery, which will be integrated into Braskem's neighboring plant that manufactures polypropylene plastic.

Another day, another refinery deal. For the third time in three months, Gov. Corbett on Wednesday stood in front of the stained steel towers of a Philadelphia area refinery to unveil a state-subsidized deal to save jobs in the oil and petrochemical industry. The governor said the state would provide $15 million to support Braskem America Inc.'s acquisition of a chemical processing unit at Sunoco's Marcus Hook refinery, which will be integrated into Braskem's neighboring plant that manufactures polypropylene plastic.

Charles Wilson can hardly wait for Thursday. That's when he'll next report to his job at Sunoco's South Philadelphia refinery. To repeat for emphasis: He is going to report to his job at the refinery. "It's a breath of fresh air," said Wilson, 51, of Woodlyn, Delaware County. Or maybe it's a sigh of relief, one giant exhale, not only for Wilson, but for his 850 coworkers at the plant. Gone is the heavy fear of being one of Sunoco's doomed castoffs, rendered useless along with its sprawling South Philadelphia refinery that had been slated to close.

A consultant on Wednesday said the best hope for Sunoco's idled Marcus Hook refinery site is to be reborn as a multipurpose energy processing facility, fueled by the growing output of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale drilling boom. Local officials yesterday presented a road map for what Delaware County Councilman Tom McGarrigle called the "economic second life for Marcus Hook," which looks remarkably like its first life – processing hydrocarbons extracted from the earth into fuel and chemicals.