Contamination lurks on and under the shuttered South Philly refinery; Pa. and Philly families feel squeezed | Morning Newsletter
Plus, Embiid and Simmons went head-to-head last night in the NBA All-Star game.
The Morning Newsletter
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Now that a judge has signed off on the sale of Philadelphia Energy Solutions, there’s been more focus on how the refinery impacted its South Philly surroundings. My colleague Frank Kummer analyzed documents to examine what contamination might be lurking on and under the site. Also, a new study lays out how much it costs for a family of four to live in Philly without getting assistance. Some other subjects to look forward to in today’s newsletter include a new regional program that sends first-time drug offenders to treatment instead of a courtroom, last night’s NBA All-Star game that featured Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and thousands of people jumped into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
With the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approving the sale of the refinery complex to a firm that wants to replace it with a mixed-use development, there’s some concern about the contamination of the ground and water beneath the two-square-mile property. A host of hazardous chemicals lurk there, including cancer-causing benzene, according to government and corporate documents that my colleague reviewed.
The refinery was broken down into 11 areas of interest for cleanup plans by Sunoco and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. My colleague went through all the sections and detailed the contamination in each.
A Philadelphia family of four must make more than $70,000 a year just to survive, according to a new report on the so-called Self-Sufficiency Standard. That’s a sum that’s beyond the reach of most residents in the city. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 60% of city households take in less than $60,000 a year, showing that the majority of households don’t make enough money to cover basic costs.
For the suburbs, the figure ranges from about $80,000 to almost $88,000. Across the entire state, a quarter of households lack enough income to afford necessities, according to a Pa.-specific analysis of the report.
What you need to know today
After Philly’s Catholic archdiocese paid a six-figure clergy sex-abuse settlement, the accuser’s lawyer admitted he identified the wrong priest after my colleagues Mensah Dean and Jeremy Roebuck raised questions about discrepancies between the lawyer’s account and that of archdiocesan officials.
“This is a blessing. I could dance all over the street,” said a resident who lives close to the now-shuttered South Philly oil refinery about its sale.
A new Bucks County program sends first-time drug offenders to treatment, not a courtroom.
Suburban Democrats who just want to beat Trump are taking a serious look at Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire ex-New York mayor and Republican-turned-Democrat.
The lawyer of a former Temple University frat president accused by two women of forcing or trying to force them into sex acts said at the trial that “’no, no’ has many shades of gray.”
ICYMI: My colleague Jeremy Roebuck reported on how Philly’s new Catholic archbishop might represent historic change. Nelson Pérez begins in his new post tomorrow.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
I think we can agree that Philly was our true love on Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing, @devon.leigh. 😍
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!
That’s interesting
Ben Simmons and Team LeBron narrowly edged out Joel Embiid and Team Giannis in last night’s NBA All-Star game in Chicago. Both squads gave efforts that would have made Lower Merion alum Kobe Bryant proud, my colleague Keith Pompey writes.
🍄Can magic mushrooms and LSD treat depression and anxiety?
🐈The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued guidelines and best practices last month that lay out the responsibilities of landlords and tenants when it comes to support animals.
👑The new Miss West Chester University picked homelessness as her platform. And she knows it firsthand.
🎭Why are lots of hit musicals and plays skipping intermissions?
📚There will be no more late fines for overdue books at Philadephia’s Free Library.
🖼️The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is under extreme financial pressure, and it’s selling off parts of its collection.
Opinions
“Service to our nation is a privilege, and the military is just one of the many ways to serve. Military service is no more valuable than other forms of service. Our cops, firemen, teachers, career civil servants, and elected leaders — all deserve our gratitude and appreciation.” — writes Curtis Milam, who served in the Air Force, about the weaponization of patriotism.
For years, Pennsylvania has propped up the horse race industry. But a new proposal from Gov. Tom Wolf would use some of that money to fund scholarships for Pennsylvania students to attend Pennsylvania colleges. “It’s about time,” The Inquirer Editorial Board writes.
Paul Steinke, the executive director of the Preservation Alliance, writes about five Philly jazz sites that need historical preservation, besides the John Coltrane House in Strawberry Mansion.
What we’re reading
When someone bought the lot next to a Germantown woman, she didn’t think her property would become a dumping ground for steel beams, a broken fence, and dirt. WHYY reports on another example of complaints against contractors and developers for dangerous and sometimes illegal construction.
CNN has a story about a New York City convenience store that offers customers a deal: Solve a math problem, and get five seconds to grab any food in the store, for free. The owner of the store says he wants to help low-income community members save for other expenses, such as rent and utilities.
Japan has 33,000 businesses that are more than a century old. With so many of the world’s oldest companies concentrated in one country, what does it mean for its future? BBC has the story.
Your Daily Dose of | Polar Bear Plunge
Winter temps finally arrived on Saturday. And that was pretty unlucky for the thousands of people who ran, dove, or simply stood and shrieked in the Atlantic Ocean. Well, if you willingly signed up for the Sea Isle City, N.J., Polar Bear Plunge, you had to know that it wasn’t going to be particularly pleasant.