We live near the site of the South Philly refinery fire, and three years later, we’re still worried

Three years ago, the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery blew up, shaking our homes, releasing terrible odors, and frightening residents — even those of us who had lived through generations of fires and explosions from the East Coast’s largest and oldest refinery.

The explosion on June 21, 2019, sent a 38,000-pound piece of metal flying almost half a mile, released 5,239 pounds of hydrofluoric acid into the atmosphere, and prompted lingering worries about benzene emissions that persist to this day.

Although the refinery has been closed since 2019, pollution from the site continues. Last month, data from monitors near the site were made public, and residents learned that the average releases of benzene — a pollutant that causes leukemia, cancer, and birth defects — were two times the federal action level and the second-highest in the U.S. in 2021.

Refining fossil fuels is dangerous — they give off cancer-causing pollution and are highly volatile and combustible. What has made matters worse since the plant closed is the lack of public involvement in the planning around the refinery site’s demolition and redevelopment. With more opportunities for public comment, residents would have shared our concerns, and protections from benzene pollution could have been in place since the beginning of the demolition in 2020.

» READ MORE: South Philly residents demand input in redevelopment of refinery site

Unfortunately, as the redevelopment of the site progresses, it feels to us like the same old lack of transparency we experienced from the refinery, with an added layer of greenwashing. For the last two years, the current owner of the site, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, has held Zoom meetings where we can’t see fellow residents or read the questions our neighbors submit. We tried to attend Hilco’s June 14 meeting at Audenried High School, but when we walked over, we were told it was canceled.

Residents are ready for a different path forward — we are still hopeful that the former refinery site, now known as the Bellwether District, will live up to the promises Hilco has made in its PR campaigns, including sustainable development for the community and a carbon-free future. It’s not too late to involve a broad base of impacted residents in the planning for the demolition, cleanup, and future land use.

The United South/Southwest Coalition for Healthy Communities, a collection of 22 organizations based in the neighborhoods surrounding the refinery site, held the first in-person public meeting on the redevelopment project earlier this month. Hundreds of Philadelphians joined us for the meeting, where coalition members shared updates on the redevelopment, allowed residents of all ages to share their priorities, and held an open speak-out. The coalition ensured that the event was accessible to frontline residents, holding it in a local park for COVID-19 safety, providing food and seating for our elders, coordinating rides, and offering a Zoom option. We modeled how to host an informative, engaging public meeting that makes space for resident input.

» READ MORE: South Philly residents are worried about Hilco refining operations permits at former PES site

We continue to call on Hilco to formally commit to negotiating a community benefits agreement with the coalition, involve residents in planning for future land use, and follow through on promises of carbon-free development. We also call on our elected officials to insist that corporations keep their promises, and meaningfully involve the residents in making decisions that affect our lives.

And let us be clear: United South/Southwest members are not alone in identifying a lack of public process and accountability as root causes of the harm we face. Across the city, our neighbors are experiencing the same patterns: Millionaires and billionaires profit while keeping us excluded from the decisions that affect our lives. But residents are pushing back and organizing for a just, healthy future for Philadelphia — through a city budget that reflects residents’ priorities, halting sheriff sales of community spaces, and fighting the displacement of low-income renters.

The Bellwether District is an opportunity for Hilco to model true “sustainable development for the community” by rebuilding trust and repairing the refinery’s 154-year legacy of harm. Philadelphians are ready for our city to move from a culture of extractive development to a culture where development is rooted in residents’ visions, protects community health, and advances justice.

We are lifelong Grays Ferry residents, moms, and grandmothers, and we have watched our loved ones suffer and die from asthma, bone cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, bronchitis, and esophageal cancer. Unfortunately, our story of loss and grief is a common one — pollution from the 1,300-acre site of the former refinery has affected our health, our homes, and our families for generations. Enough is enough.

Jeanette Miller and Sylvia Bennett, members of Philly Thrive, write on behalf of the United South/Southwest Coalition for Healthy Communities. The coalition is made up of nearly two dozen organizations based in neighborhoods surrounding the former refinery site and is pursuing a community benefits agreement with Hilco Redevelopment Partners and accountability for nearby residents at every stage of the redevelopment.