Braskem America To Purchase Portion Of Sunoco's Marcus Hook Refinery

By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -Governor Tom Corbett announced today that the Commonwealth will enable a global manufacturer of plastics to purchase a portion of the Sunoco Marcus Hook Refinery, impacting hundreds of jobs and creating dozens more.

The governor says Braskem America will purchase a portion of the Marcus Hook refinery to produce polypropylene, a form of plastic used in water bottles and credit cards. He says the Commonwealth will provide $15 million in support for the acquisition.

"What we are doing is looking to the private sector to say, 'We want you to stay here, we want you to come here, we want you to build here.'"

Corbett says the money is contingent on Braskem investing $56 million in the Marcus Hook plant, creating 28 new jobs and retaining the 119 jobs at the plant for at least five years.

State Representative Bill Adolph says keeping the Marcus Hook, Philadelphia and Trainer refineries open saved jobs and taxpayers:

"We were looking at a unemployment cost to the Commonwealth of over $250 million."

Governor Tom Corbett says there are also efforts to find a buyer for the remaining portion of Marcus Hook plant.