HARRISBURG – Two years after an explosion at the West Reading R.M. Palmer Chocolate Factory killed seven people and injured 10 others in March 2023, a National Transportation Safety Board investigation found the explosion to have likely been caused by a degraded natural gas connection. Due to the accident, two bipartisan bills have passed out of the PA House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee to address the causes of the incident. House Bill 1525 would require all owners and operators of pipelines transporting steam located in public rights-of-way to register with the Pennsylvania One Call System so that property owners and construction workers know where steam lines are located. House Bill 1526 would require the PA Public Utilities Commission to work with natural gas pipeline operators to develop guidance and management programs to address threats to degrading plastic pipelines, such as those that degraded and leaked natural gas, leading to the factory explosion. Both bills move to the full House for consideration.
