Refinery

The Clean Air Council is challenging a decision by environmental regulators to allow the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery to claim credit for a reduction in emissions caused by the closure of Sunoco's Marcus Hook refinery. The council on Monday sued to stop the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection from considering the Philadelphia refinery and the closed Marcus Hook refinery as one single air-pollution source. The decision would allow the new owners of the Philadelphia refinery to emit more pollution, at least temporarily.

It was an odd sight for a refinery: A manager, with a sheepish smile, referring to the 350-acre plant outside his office as "all those pipes and things. " But there he was, Felix Strater, 47, a former sociology major - with a minor in philosophy, yet - standing beside the big desk in the corner office of the BP Oil Co. refinery last week, joking about never having worked in a refinery before. And now he's the boss. "Let's face it," he said, motioning toward the steel towers behind his office, "I don't really know how to run things out there.

Mobil is offering a free car wash and wax in Paulsboro. No. It's not a new sales technique. It's the oil company's redress for a malfunction Tuesday at Mobil's refinery in neighboring Greenwich Township that sprayed what company officials have described as "dirty water" over 20 blocks in the Billingsport section of Paulsboro, leaving spots on cars. The water, which sprayed from an emergency flare at a gasoline processing unit, contained a "minute" amount of sulfur compounds and ammonia, according to a letter Mobil officials distributed to about 200 households within hours of the 8 a.m. mishap.

Sunoco Inc.'s Philadelphia refinery, which was threatened with closure at the end of this month, will be reborn as an "energy hub. " The Carlyle Group, a Washington private-equity manager, announced plans Monday to operate the refinery with Sunoco as a joint venture called Philadelphia Energy Solutions. The venture will save 850 jobs at the refinery, the largest fuel-production plant in the northeastern United States, and may employ hundreds more if plans to expand production are realized.

AMBULANCE LEAVES SUN OIL REFINERY in South Philadelphia yesterday where a crude oil vapor leak exploded, starting a fire that burned three workers. The vapor cloud ignited shortly before 8 a,n, at the refinery at 3143 W. Passyunk Ave., fire officials said, and was not declared under control for nearly two hours. A 38-year-old man was in St. Agnes Burn Center in serious condition last night, and another worker was in Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with burns on his back and neck.

The Delaware City refinery closed by Valero Energy Co. in 2009 is back in full production under its new owner. The refinery on the Delaware River south of Wilmington, now operated as Delaware City Refining Co. L.L.C., today showed off what $450 million in investment in a shuttered refinery can do. An event to celebrate the restart, which began in June, drew Gov. Markell, Delaware's two U.S. senators and other officials as well as top...

The dust flew and the crowd watched as the old refinery, at Columbus Boulevard and Reed Street, was demolished yesterday. The honor of pushing the button went to Bob Welch, 33, a graduate of the Sacred Heart School. Welch won a raffle sponsored by the school, at East Moyamensing Avenue and Reed Street.

As Valero Energy completed the sale of its Paulsboro refinery last month, the company was in talks with the state to address $2.3 million in pollution violations. The violations included the discharge of "slurry oil" that reached Paulsboro High School property and a residential area where it could flow into state waters, as well as emissions of pollutants above the allowable limit at various times between 2006 and 2010. In August, for example, stack emission tests of an oil-processing unit at the refinery showed the release of particulate matter, which can irritate lungs, at 59 percent above the allowable rate.

The ConocoPhillips refinery in Delaware County has been fined $38,137 for air-quality violations. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which announced the fine yesterday, the refinery failed to report emissions, incorrectly reported emissions, and exceeded emission limits. Southeast Regional Director Joseph A. Feola said the emissions "came from a variety of sources at the refinery. " The failings were documented during inspections between 2006 and 2008.