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Local effort seeks to save Marcus Hook and Trainer refineries

The atmosphere at the Sungate Diner in Marcus Hook on Monday morning was hardly remarkable - waitresses busy with food orders, the clatter of dishes, and the din from light chatter over morning coffee.

The atmosphere at the Sungate Diner in Marcus Hook on Monday morning was hardly remarkable - waitresses busy with food orders, the clatter of dishes, and the din from light chatter over morning coffee.

But the conversation at one table stood out.

Local business owners had gathered to meet with U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan (R., Pa.) and talk about how the possible closing of oil refineries would affect Marcus Hook and Trainer.

"Those refineries are vital to us," said Marie Horn, owner of the Star Hotel in Marcus Hook.

On Sept. 6, Sunoco announced it would close its operations in Marcus Hook and South Philadelphia in July if a buyer could not be found. Less than two weeks later, ConocoPhillips began shutting down operations at its Trainer facility, saying it would close the facility in six months if it could not find a buyer.

Between the two companies, more than 1,800 oil workers and 425 contractors could be out of work.

Meehan said a ripple effect could hit 4,000 to 6,000 workers in other industries whose jobs are tied to the refineries.

Oil workers and contractors shop, eat, and spend time in the small communities. It is hard to see the effect of one person buying a slice of pizza and a lottery ticket until it is gone.

They "generate a lot of income that is not here everyday," Horn said.

School districts would also feel the effects of refinery shutdowns.

The refineries pay about $3.8 million in taxes to the Chichester School District, whose annual budget is $61 million. If they close, the district could lose substantial tax revenue, said Janice Miller Lion, the district's business administrator.

School Superintendent Barbara DiMarino said cuts in federal and state dollars had already forced the district to eliminate math and reading coaches.

There are 3,400 students in the Chichester School District, DiMarino said, many whose families live paycheck to paycheck. At Marcus Hook Elementary School, 79 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch. At nearby Linwood Elementary 68 percent qualify.

"If you are worried whether there is going to be food on the table . . . you are not inclined to be worried about math," DiMarino said.

Meehan said a group of local and state officials had organized to find a buyer for the refineries. He said he hoped meetings such as the one at the diner would show the oil companies their responsibilities were not just "pipes and barrels, but families and futures."