Public Comments Due by Monday on Monroe Energy Construction Projects
Reprinted news release from the Clean Air Council
The Monroe Refinery in Trainer, PA, is seeking approval for several large construction projects expected to begin in August 2026 and conclude in December 2029. Public comments on the projects are due by Monday.
Construction is proposed to occur at seven different locations totaling over seven acres. Residents can submit official public comments until Monday, July 27, demanding more information about when and where each construction project will take place.
Clean Air Council is concerned about several of these projects, including the proposed conversion of a “former liquid petroleum loading rack” to a “proposed liquified petroleum gas transfer.” Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is a product of refining processes and usually a mix of propane and butane.
LPG is pressurized into a liquid in storage tanks, rail cars, and trucks, and transferred as a gas. Unlike liquified natural gas (LNG), LPG only needs to be pressurized, not refrigerated, to be liquid. LPG is heavier than air when released as a gas and can explode. This proposed facility conversion is located extremely close to residents in Marcus Hook, PA.
The Council is also concerned about how contaminated soil will be handled during the proposed construction. In one section of the current application, Monroe states: “All excavated soils are expected to be hauled off-site as hazardous material,” but in other parts, Monroe states a desire to reuse soil excavated as a part of this project. Monroe’s construction project will use at least three soil piles that could be significantly contaminated, and residents should be aware of the possibility of contaminated soil leaving Monroe’s property, especially during intense storms.
The Monroe Refinery has a history of dangerous operating conditions. Recently, on June 16, the refinery shut down because of an internal leak and then caught fire on June 25, sending at least one worker to the hospital.
Click here to submit official public comments on Monroe’s proposed construction projects. Comments are due Monday, July 27.
PHOTO/Google Earth, Courtesy Clean Air Council
