Chevron Pizza ‘Scandal’ Leaves Small Town Divided

Katie Colaneri /WHYY

Katie Colaneri /WHYY

Chevron passed out free pizza coupons to local residents after a natural gas explosion killed a young worker.

As reported by NPR, “More than 12,000 people from the Netherlands to San Francisco have signed a petition demanding that Chevron apologize for insulting Bobtown, Pa., after the energy giant responded to an explosion of one of its natural gas wells by giving nearby residents coupons for free pizza.”

There are those in the community who are angry about the gesture, while others are supporting Chevon’s efforts.

NPR reports that “Food is a big part of Bobtown tradition, including the rites of grief: Someone dies, and neighbors bring dinner to the family.”

“Maybe that’s kind of why everybody was so surprised at the reaction to the pizza thing, because we’re just used to that. If something happens, you give people food. I never looked at it as a negative thing, you know?” says Bonnie Gansor, who runs the local beauty salon. Her father was a coal miner.

You can listen to an audio clip from NPR, below.
 

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