By David Madden

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) – The feds have approved some $5 million that will aid displaced workers at a pair of shuttered oil refineries in Delaware County.

The National Emergency Grant was issued through the US Department of Labor. The money will go to their state counterparts in Harrisburg, who will set up a facility in Marcus Hook to assist hundreds of laid off workers at the Sunoco and ConocoPhillips plants. Delaware County Congressman Pat Meehan made the request just a couple weeks ago and is heartened by the quick response.

“There will be a resource center that will help enable a worker to connect back to the work force with education, resume writing,” Meehan says.

Conoco is still looking for a buyer, while Sunoco has already begun looking at alternate uses for its plant. Meehan suggests the growth of obtaining oil and natural gas from Marcellus Shale could be just such an alternative.