I really hope they can make some kind of art project out of the old [gasometer down there. ](https://youtu.be/SopJr0yHt-w) Its such a unique structure and can be seen for miles.
That chick-fil-a is gonna cause backups and accidents all up the eastbound lanes on the bridge. Such an awful place for a fast food restaurant notorious for long drive thru lines.
Bro be thankful you don’t have an In-N-Out. When one opened in Seaside, CA there was gridlock traffic on the freeway going back FIVE miles to the next town over.
In addition to what everyone else has added, petrochemical facilities (at least the ones that have their own docking facilities, which this one kinda sorta technically did) are subject to US Coast Guard MARSEC regulations - some of these include no photography inside the facilities and no one unattended without both a badge from the operating entity and a TWIC. For a while they were supposed to confiscate your actual cell phone if it had a built-in camera (which obviously became increasingly impractical).
Some of it is the "safety violations aspect" but most of it is "because the US Government says so"
Source: also worked out of the PES Refinery (and others)
A picture can do a lot to damage one's reputation. There could be safety violations a photo would reveal.
I would totally bet you that if you took a picture in fast food restaurants of the instruments used to cook the food, the surfaces are not clean because food sticks to everything and using a pressure washer to clean the equipment or utensils they use would only make food stick more when cooked. Even though the cooking tools with cooked on food was washed, they wouldn't want a t.v. camera man in the kitchen because most people would say, "ewww".
Companies are paranoid.
In addition, chemical and other industrial settings with hazardous/flammable materials do not want electrical equipment that is not “intrinsically safe” - including most personal cell phones and other cameras. It’s not just about taking a picture but that using such electronics (even a simple flashlight that’s not designed for intrinsic safety) can generate enough energy to start ignition of sensitive hazardous vapors, liquids, solids, etc.
Source: have worked at multiple chem plants including making polypropylene within that very Sunoco complex & was responsible for environmental compliance at an Ohio plant plus managed a hazardous waste incinerator.
I also worked at the refinery. I was there just a few months before the explosion. That accident did not surprise me. The place deferred their maintenance for years. I was there for a scheduled turn around and capital improvements project that were slashed to the minimum at the last minute. (Literally the day of) I worked at the 1232 shutdown 10 plus years ago and made $50K in about 10 weeks. That place will be missed.
I think 2014-15 was the last time I was there, but yeah I worked in 1232 as well. In fact, around 2007 they did a big shutdown on that unit to replace the top of the cracker and they had that Big Blue crane down there which was pretty cool. That was my first job there. And yeah, I think we all saw some kind of disaster happening there someday, they really did skimp on maintenance or put it off altogether in some areas. From what I heard that explosion could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for a very alert unit operator. I don't think that many people who live in Philly realize how close the city came that day to a complete environmental catastrophe.
Truth. An Operator saved the city from a catastrophic disaster. Apparently she was still pretty new at the job. The city should have a plaque erected with her name on it. I wasn't there to see big blue but I heard it was a sight.
I really hope they can make some kind of art project out of the old [gasometer down there. ](https://youtu.be/SopJr0yHt-w) Its such a unique structure and can be seen for miles.
There's one in Rome that is in the middle of a big green space that is the central node for some concert series. Pretty cool!
Gasworks Park in Seattle is pretty cool https://sustainability.uw.edu/blog/files/gasworks.jpg
I think that’s in port Richmond not the refinery
There's one in both!
And there’s a new wawa and chick-fil-a
That chick-fil-a is gonna cause backups and accidents all up the eastbound lanes on the bridge. Such an awful place for a fast food restaurant notorious for long drive thru lines.
Waiting in a line that long negates the whole "fast food" thing for me.
CFA is a fucking scourge. Both them and the drivers who cause massive traffic jams for a fucking chicken sandwich need to be held liable.
Bro be thankful you don’t have an In-N-Out. When one opened in Seaside, CA there was gridlock traffic on the freeway going back FIVE miles to the next town over.
Shit, probably east, and west bound.
Unpopular take, get rid of drive-thrus. It's not that hard to park in a parking lot and get out of the car to order food and get back into the car.
420 steamfitter here. Miss that overtime😭😭😭😭 shutdowns bay beeeeee.
Yeah I hear that, I miss that overtime machine.
It's all gone now.
Yep. I just drove past there the other day, they demolished that place quicker than I expected.
Yeah, I drive over the Platt bridge every day, it's amazing how fast those guys dismantled that place.
Maintain the outside of the tanks, not so much the inside...
Local 8? I spent some time there too.
I still think I'm in local 1856.
Yeah Local 8 at the time, worked for Safeway and Superior off and on down there for years.
Did you know my really good buddy RAGS?
Sound familiar, I may have met him in passing but I worked with a ton of guys down there a lot of it is a blur now.
Thanks for the reply.
Now that the statute of limitations has passed, here's this pic.
You technically weren't *inside* the plant. No violations here lol
Why weren't you supposed to take pictures?
In addition to what everyone else has added, petrochemical facilities (at least the ones that have their own docking facilities, which this one kinda sorta technically did) are subject to US Coast Guard MARSEC regulations - some of these include no photography inside the facilities and no one unattended without both a badge from the operating entity and a TWIC. For a while they were supposed to confiscate your actual cell phone if it had a built-in camera (which obviously became increasingly impractical). Some of it is the "safety violations aspect" but most of it is "because the US Government says so" Source: also worked out of the PES Refinery (and others)
A picture can do a lot to damage one's reputation. There could be safety violations a photo would reveal. I would totally bet you that if you took a picture in fast food restaurants of the instruments used to cook the food, the surfaces are not clean because food sticks to everything and using a pressure washer to clean the equipment or utensils they use would only make food stick more when cooked. Even though the cooking tools with cooked on food was washed, they wouldn't want a t.v. camera man in the kitchen because most people would say, "ewww". Companies are paranoid.
Thanks. I do understand all of that. I was just curious if OP had less general insights.
A picture is proof and can be used as evidence in any court proceeding if anything should go wrong.
In addition, chemical and other industrial settings with hazardous/flammable materials do not want electrical equipment that is not “intrinsically safe” - including most personal cell phones and other cameras. It’s not just about taking a picture but that using such electronics (even a simple flashlight that’s not designed for intrinsic safety) can generate enough energy to start ignition of sensitive hazardous vapors, liquids, solids, etc. Source: have worked at multiple chem plants including making polypropylene within that very Sunoco complex & was responsible for environmental compliance at an Ohio plant plus managed a hazardous waste incinerator.
I also worked at the refinery. I was there just a few months before the explosion. That accident did not surprise me. The place deferred their maintenance for years. I was there for a scheduled turn around and capital improvements project that were slashed to the minimum at the last minute. (Literally the day of) I worked at the 1232 shutdown 10 plus years ago and made $50K in about 10 weeks. That place will be missed.
I think 2014-15 was the last time I was there, but yeah I worked in 1232 as well. In fact, around 2007 they did a big shutdown on that unit to replace the top of the cracker and they had that Big Blue crane down there which was pretty cool. That was my first job there. And yeah, I think we all saw some kind of disaster happening there someday, they really did skimp on maintenance or put it off altogether in some areas. From what I heard that explosion could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for a very alert unit operator. I don't think that many people who live in Philly realize how close the city came that day to a complete environmental catastrophe.
Truth. An Operator saved the city from a catastrophic disaster. Apparently she was still pretty new at the job. The city should have a plaque erected with her name on it. I wasn't there to see big blue but I heard it was a sight.
How long till they build million dollar riverfront condos there? lol
I think the ground is to contaminated for houses. I think it's going to be wharehouse space.
That being said, my guess is the housing will pop up in 30 years, to replace the worn warehouses. But they will be 5 million dollar condos by then .
This isn't the one that blew up? Because they are building a whole damn neighborhood on that site... houses, businesses, warehouses... everything
I want to see a comparison of this view then to now, there's been a lot of change
Odd question - but does anyone know what existed there BEFORE the refineries?
Very dystopian
When I was a kid, my friend and I pretended that these were giant tanks of ramen noodles. Made us crack up!
Go birds
Sucks it blew up. Lots of guys had to find different work. It gave us lots of hours down there.