Public Meetings

Evergreen hosted its 2024 Q3 virtual public meeting on Tuesday, September 10th on Zoom. If you did not have a chance to attend, we invite you to get caught up using the information below:

• slide deck
• attendee list

Evergreen hosted its 2024 Q2 virtual public meeting on Tuesday, June 4th on Zoom. If you did not have a chance to attend, we invite you to get caught up using the information below:

• slide deck
• recording
• attendee list

Evergreen hosted its 2024 Q1 virtual public meeting on Thursday, March 7th on Zoom. If you did not have a chance to attend, we invite you to get caught up using the information below:

• slide deck
• recording
• attendee list

Thanks to those who joined us for our 2023 Q4 public meeting on Zoom. We presented some of the progress of the cleanup. We received good feedback and look forward to continuing to provide more information about Evergreen’s environmental cleanup program.

• Meeting Recording
• Slide Deck
• Attendee List

Thanks to all who attended our Q3 meeting on August 29th at Stinger Park. Here are some highlights from the meeting:

• Approximately 50 attendees
• Some of the organizations present: Evergreen, Geosyntec, Stantec, Hilco, EPA, Hummingbird, Philly Thrive
• Topics discussed:
  • Presenting of key remediation topics via poster boards
  • Introducing Evergreen, Evergreen’s consultants (Geosyntec, Stantec, Hummingbird, Sanborn Head) working on the project, and representatives from EPA
  • Addressing resident concerns of air pollutants and the cleaning of the refinery
  • Evergreen highlighting what they are responsible for cleaning up and what Hilco is responsible for cleaning up
  • Hilco explaining some of the proposed plans for the area
  • Community expressing their concerns about the impacts of the refinery on their families and their neighbors
  • Community expressing the importance for Evergreen to pay the community back for the damages that were caused
  • Community wanting to understand what a standard risk assessment is

During our June 7th meeting, Colleen Costello of Sanborn Head shared about the Unit Sampling Remedial Investigation Report and the AOI 10 Human Health Risk Assessment & Cleanup Plan. If you didn’t attend, you can get caught up by taking a look at the documents below:

• Meeting recording
• Slide deck
• Attendee list

Thanks to all who attended the March 14th meeting on Zoom. If you did not have a chance to attend the meeting, please see the recording and other materials below.

• Meeting recording
• Slide deck
• Attendee list
• Q&A

Evergreen held a public meeting on December 13, 2022 at the Aquinas Center at 1700 Fernon Street, from 6-7:30.  The meeting was slightly different than other meetings that included presentation of new project information.  Instead, Evergreen used this in-person meeting as an opportunity to have an open floor discussion. Attendees were able to ask questions and have real-time conversations with Evergreen and its consultants.  Regulatory agency representatives were present to answer questions as well.

• Meeting flyer
• Attendee list

Thank you to those who attended our in-person meeting at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge as well as those who joined us on Zoom.

• Meeting flyer
• Presentation posters
• Air Quality & Vapor Intrusion explainer video
• Presenter videos
• Attendee list
• Questions & Answers

Thank you to those that were able to participate in another successful meeting!  The May 24, 2022 event (see attached flyer) included short presentations to provide a general review of the basic principles of contaminant fate and transport, which discussed how chemicals travel in the environment.  We also reviewed Evergreen’s upcoming fate and transport modeling efforts.  This provided basic information ahead of the Act 2 Fate & Transport Model Remedial Investigation Report which is due in June 2022.  There was dedicated time for open discussion in smaller groups to encourage a two-way flow of information.  Community members and other attendees were encouraged to share what they know/learned about transport modeling during the presentation and ask questions to further the discussion on the topic.

• Presentation – Introduction to Fate & Transport
• Attendee List
• Meeting recording
• Questions & Answers (answered live)
• Questions & Answers Video (follow-up for unanswered questions)
• Breakout Room Notes

The February 17, 2022 event (see attached flyer) included a short presentation to provide a general update on site activities but mostly focused on reviewing the basic principles of remediation.  There was dedicated time for open discussion, using Zoom breakout sessions so that smaller groups could be utilized to encourage a two-way flow of information.  Community members and other attendees were encouraged to share what they know/learned about remediation during the presentation and ask questions to further the discussion on the topic.  This helps inform how we communicate information about our remediation activities in the future.  Below you will find a copy of the presentation, session recordings, attendance list, and written Q&A for those questions that were not answered during the meeting – those questions that were addressed during the meeting are available in the recording(s):

• Presentation – Introduction to Remediation
• Attendee List
• Meeting recording
• Questions & Answers (Note that some questions were addressed during the meeting and are included in the recording)
• Breakout Room Notes

The City of Philadelphia Air Management Services (AMS) and Evergreen hosted a joint public information session on December 15, 2021 to discuss the draft Natural Minor Operation Permit to be issued to Evergreen for operation of applicable remediation systems at the former Philadelphia Refinery site.  The event provided an opportunity for AMS to discuss the Natural Minor permit and process, Evergreen to provide information on the remediation systems applicable to this permit, and the public to ask questions.  We hope that the meeting was beneficial to those who participated and increased public understanding of the role of AMS in this permit process and Evergreen’s remediation activities at the site.

We invite you to review the materials from the meeting:

• A copy of the AMS/Evergreen Presentation
• The meeting recording
• Attendee List
• All questions were addressed during the meeting and are included in the recording.

Evergreen hosted a public meeting on Tuesday, September 28th, 2021.  Due to the rise in Covid cases, the meeting was held virtually via Zoom.  You can also view the meeting flyer.  During this virtual meeting we:

• Shared progress on our work towards developing an improved community engagement process
• Provided updates on Evergreen’s cleanup program, with emphasis on Area of Interest 4 (AOI4) and Area of Interest 9 (AOI9)
• Discussed next steps for community engagement
• Provided opportunities for attendees to give feedback and ask questions

View the recording and other meeting details at the links below:

• Attendee List
• Slide Deck
• Video Recording
• Q&A and Comments

Evergreen joined Hilco Redevelopment Partners on June 3, 2021 for a virtual public meeting via Zoom webinar format.  Details for attending the meeting, which was being facilitated by Hilco, are provided below.  Questions were submitted ahead of time to jsessoms@hilcoglobal.com by May 31, 2021, and were also collected during the event. Questions directed at both Hilco and Evergreen are provided below along with a copy of the presentation.  Evergreen Q&A have also been added to the Q&A page of the website.

• Questions directed at Hilco
• Questions directed at Evergreen
• Full Public Meeting Presentation (June 3, 2021)

The March 31, 2021 event included a short presentation to provide a general update on schedule and forthcoming reports.  The majority of the time; however, was spent in open discussion, using Zoom breakout sessions so that smaller groups could be utilized to encourage two-way flow of information.  Community members were able to share ideas and experiences that will help inform and shape our community outreach strategy.  We discussed topics such as notification, communication (for both technical and administrative information), commenting/input, and public involvement activities. Below you will find a copy of the presentation, session recordings, and attendance/chat information from the event:

• March 31, 2021 Presentation document
• March 31, 2021 Event Video (Note: does not include breakout sessions)
• March 31, 2021 Event Breakout Group Recordings: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, Group 5
• March 31, 2021 Public Involvement Summary Report
• March 31, 2021 Event Attendance Log
• March 31, 2021 Event Chat room log

The City of Philadelphia hosted a meeting on February 18, 2021 along with the PADEP and USEPA.  The meeting was held to increase public understanding of the roles of the agencies in the cleanup process.  The meeting notice has been provided HERE with details on date/time, link to virtual meeting, and purpose of the meeting.  A recording of the presentation is provided HERE. The Question and Answer document (from the event itself), the Chat, and the Attendance Record from the meeting are also available. PADEP has also provided a pdf copy of their portion of the presentation: Philadelphia Refinery: DEP’s Role and the Land Recycling Program.  EPA has also provided a pdf copy of their portion of the presentation. A follow-up Q&A document to address questions that were not answered during the event will also be posted upon receipt from the agencies.

Evergreen held a Public Information Session to discuss the Legacy Environmental Cleanup of the former Philadelphia Refinery on January 14, 2021. The purpose of this session was to provide an open Question and Answer period.  This meeting marked the end of a “120-day” review period that was provided for past Act 2 reports that had already gone through the submittal and review process (NOTE: 120-days from the August 26, 2020 public information session was December 26, 2020; however, questions/comments were accepted up until the day of the meeting on January 14, 2021). A copy of the presentation document can be found HERE.  The full event with audio which includes the live Q&A can be watched by clicking HERE.

Evergreen will compile all questions/comments/responses collected since the November 2019 event into a Public Comment Remedial Investigation Report (RIR) that will be submitted to the DEP and EPA.  While the purpose of the review period was to open past reports for a second comment period for the public, most questions/comments collected to date have been around other general refinery topics.  Please note that all questions/comments will be addressed in the Public Comment RIR regardless of topic.  

Please note that while this meeting marked the end of the official comment review period for the previously submitted Act 2 reports, there will be many additional opportunities for public input as the Act 2 program continues.  Evergreen is planning future small group discussions around topics collected from this review period as well as during future report public comment periods (all future Act 2 reports will have a public comment period upon submittal to DEP/EPA).

Please note that due to restrictions on public gatherings, the presentation was virtual to ensure the safety of all attendees based on current social gathering guidelines.  Future meeting logistics will be evaluated prior to each event.

The public can continue to provide input and any time on these reports or other topics through any of the methods listed below:

• This website via the Report Comments page
• Email Evergreen at phillyrefinerycleanup@ghd.com
• U.S. Mail at (P.O. Box 7275, Wilmington, DE 19803)

All input is valued equally, regardless of the method of input. Questions previously received from the public are posted to the Evergreen website on the Q&A tab.

EPA contractor, Skeo Solutions, Inc. (Skeo), prepared a report summarizing Evergreen’s Act 2 Remedial Investigation Reports.  Funding to prepare this report was made available under EPA’s Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program. As stated in the Summary Report,  “This report provides information on the Site and the RIR process. It covers contaminants of concern, future land use scenarios, and PADEP non-residential standards for soil and groundwater. It also shares key findings from the eight RIRs for AOIs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. It also discusses common cleanup methods at refinery sites. The report’s goal is to help nearby residents, businesses and organizations better understand contamination at the Site, how it could affect them, and what to expect for future site investigations and cleanup.”  The report also discusses air emissions from former operations that is not related to the Act 2 investigations, but is provided for the benefit of the community. A copy of Skeo’s report can be accessed HERE.

Skeo also shared a brief presentation of the report and responded to community questions and feedback on Thursday August 6, 2020.  A copy of the presentation can be accessed HERE.  The public questions and answers provided by Skeo are included in Appendix B of the report listed above.

Evergreen held a Public Information Session to discuss the Legacy Environmental Cleanup of the former Philadelphia Refinery on August 27th 2020. The purpose of this session was to (1) provide the community with an overview of the completed environmental investigations, as well as past and future environmental cleanup activities, and (2) facilitate the public’s review of pertinent environmental reports to date.  A copy of the presentation document can be found HERE ( Spanish | Chinese | Vietnamese ).  The full presentation with audio including the Q&A session following the presentation can be watched by clicking HERE.

Please note that due to restrictions on public gatherings, the presentation was virtual to ensure the safety of all attendees based on current social gathering guidelines.  Future meeting logistics will be evaluated prior to each event.

The August 27, 2020 Information Session kicked off a 120-day period for the public to provide comment on previously submitted reports.  Once the comment period has ended, Evergreen will compile all questions/comments collected during the event and during the following review period into a report along with Evergreen responses that will be submitted to the DEP and EPA.  The public can continue to provide input and any time on these reports or other topics through any of the methods listed below:

• This website via the Report Comments page
• Email Evergreen at phillyrefinerycleanup@ghd.com
• U.S. Mail at (P.O. Box 7275, Wilmington, DE 19803)

All input is valued equally, regardless of the method of input. Questions previously received from the public are posted to the Evergreen website on the Q&A tab.

Upon completion of the 120-day comment period, another meeting will be held to close out the comment period.  Information regarding future meetings will be posted to this website and public notices will be submitted.

A Public Information Session was scheduled for November 7, 2019 at the Preparatory Charter School (1928 Point Breeze Avenue) from 6-8pm. The purpose of the meeting was to present results of environmental investigations and remediation activities relating to the cleanup program being conducted by Evergreen. Notices for this meeting were published in the Philadelphia Daily News and the South Philly Review on September 13 and 11, 2019, respectively, and correspondence was sent to the City of Philadelphia, PADEP, and EPA. An additional notice was published in the same newspapers on October 2, 2019 (Philadelphia Daily News, South Philly Review).

We were disappointed to be blocked from holding the public meeting on November 7, 2019, where we planned to have a productive dialogue with interested community members regarding Evergreen’s ongoing remediation activities at the Philadelphia Refinery. Our goal was to offer a summary of the Act 2 process and key results of our work thus far, as well as to take questions from the public, kicking off a comment period before holding another meeting which was proposed for spring 2020.  We have provided a copy of the presentation that was prepared for the November 7, 2019 meeting here.   

1. Any individual so desiring may request to receive a copy of the cleanup plan prior to implementation of the cleanup and have an opportunity to comment on such plan.
2. Any person affected by the release that is the subject of the NIR may request that DEP conduct a site assessment. DEP further agrees that an appropriate DEP official will consider and appropriately respond to such request.