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Little Apparent Substance In Talks Over Closure of 3 Area Oil Refineries

By Mike DeNardo

MARCUS HOOK, Pa. (CBS) -- Congressional and labor leaders got together this morning in Marcus Hook (Delaware County) to see what could be done to save hundreds of jobs at three area oil refineries slated for closure.

"What we heard today was absolutely nothing," said United Steelworkers VP Gary Beevers afterward. Beevers (in center of photo below) says he got no satisfaction from a meeting among the local Congressional delegation, union leaders, and representatives of Sunoco and Conoco-Phillips.

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(US Rep. Pat Meehan, left, and United Steelworkers VP Gary Beevers, center, following this morning's meeting. Credit: Mike DeNardo)

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The companies are looking for buyers for their refineries in Marcus Hook; Trainer, Pa.; and South Philadelphia. But Beevers says the company reps couldn't provide any solid info.

"When they come to a meeting like this and they tell us they can't answer the questions or that they don't know, what they're telling me is they're not interested in selling the refineries," rather than shutting them down, said Beevers.

US Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa., far left in photo), who represents Delaware County, says it's frustrating, but there's a lot that can't be said.

"The fact of the matter is, there is some level of interest in potential purchasers. It's a critical period. But we really don't know how viable that interest is," Meehan told KYW Newsradio.

Sunoco plans to close its South Philadelphia refinery in July (see related story).  The closing process is already underway at its Marcus Hook facility (another related story) and at Conoco-Phillips' facility in Trainer (related story).

A total of about 2,000 jobs are in the balance.

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