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Delaware City residents angry over repeated emissions from refinery

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Delaware City residents angry over repeated emissions from refinery


Residents want harsher penalties for the Delaware City Refinery

More than 86,000 people live within a 5-mile radius of the refinery, more than half of whom are people of color, and 20% live in low-income households, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.

George X has lived 2 miles from the refinery for decades, and is worried about health concerns reported by his neighbors over the years.

“We talked about a lot of things this evening, but they didn’t talk about when they’re going to stop the pollution,” he said. “We already know we’re being poisoned. We just want to know when you’re gonna stop.”

Residents and environmentalists for years have urged DNREC to direct harsher penalties on the refinery.

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The refinery has historically been one of the region’s top polluters — releasing more than 4.6 million pounds of pollutants in 2023, according to EPA data.

The facility also has a history of violations, including three in just the past year.

In 2019, the refinery paid DNREC $950,000 to resolve a backlog of air quality violations. That same year, a fire that led to mechanical failures caused the emission of more than 842 pounds of hydrocarbons, 592 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 438 pounds of carbon monoxide, 80 pounds of nitrogen oxides and 4,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide, as well as an additional 4,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide from flaring.

According to the National Emissions Inventory, the refinery released more than 430,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide in 2020.

However, a spokesperson for the refinery said that since PBF acquired the facility from Valero Energy in 2010, there has been about an 83% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions since 2022 compared to the last three years that Valero owned and operated it.

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On Thursday, General Manager Michael Capone said he was regretful about the mechanical failure and aftermath, and promised to better communicate with the public in the future.

“We are working this thing around the clock to make sure that we get the unit complete, the work complete and the unit back online as quickly as possible,” he said.

“I want to assure all of the residents that we take each and every incident seriously. We do a detailed root cause … analysis to understand what that issue was and then we work to understand how to apply those learnings.”



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Delaware

PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

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PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley


PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.

Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.

READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning

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“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.

He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.

Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley

“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”

At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.

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“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.

Customers were already stocking up.

“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.

Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.

“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.

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PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.

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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising


Ellicott Development has expanded it local property portfolio. Ellicott’s 4628 Group Inc. purchased 695 Delaware Avenue on Wednesday for $1.025 million. Fred Kaplan Living Trust was the seller. The 8,454 sq.ft., three-story barn-like structure with mansard roofed addition is occupied by media production and marketing firm Crosswater Digital Media. It was the home of WKBW radio for a number of years. The property totals 0.4 acres in size with a large parking lot fronting Delaware Avenue.

The property is bookended by the Westbrook Apartments and Wilcox House apartment buildings, both ten-story structures. It sits across the street from 700 Delaware, the former Computer Task Group Building Ellicott purchased in 2018 and is now occupied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.



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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say

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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say


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A 77-year-old man died following a two-car crash near Hartly on the morning of Dec. 10, Delaware State Police said.

The man, from the Dover area, has not been identified by police pending family notification.

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According to police reports, the man was driving a Honda Accord east on Judith Road approaching Hartly Road about 9 a.m., as an 18-year-old woman was driving a Ford Focus south on Hartly Road approaching Judith Road.

Police reported that a preliminary investigation shows the Honda moved from the stop sign into the Ford’s path, causing a collision.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, from Hartly, was treated at the scene. Police said she refused to be taken to a hospital.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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