PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More than three years after a fire and series of explosions at a South Philadelphia refinery, a federal agency has released a final investigation report into what they believe led to the incident.
The report by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board estimates that on June 21, 2019, 5,239 pounds of hydrofluoric acid were released from a corroded pipe that ruptured at the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery.
The leaked acid and propane ignited, causing three explosions and a fire that took 28 hours to extinguish and caused $750 million in property damage.
“I thought it was interesting that they cataloged other incidents involving hydrofluoric acid at other refineries in the United States and beyond,” said Russell Zerbo with the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Clear Air Council about the report.
“It really demonstrates that this is a dangerous substance. If you’re going to use it, you must use it with the utmost absolute care.”
The report found that the pipe elbow that ruptured was made up of a higher concentration of nickel and copper, causing it to corrode faster than the rest of the piping circuit.
Zerbo says he knew the refinery that had been around since 1866 had the potential for an accident.
“But I did not know specifically, the pipe that caused the accident was a mixture of metals that is not currently advised to be used at refineries,” he explained. “So that was pretty alarming to read.”
The report recommends additional safeguards including developing a program that emphasizes inspections of the piping components at the current refinery site, which is still partly operating. It also calls for installing emergency shut-off valves.
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Zerbo said the findings that were released are giving them more of a reason to push for more safety guidelines.
“We’re currently engaged in trying to increase air monitoring around the former refinery, since there are parts of it that still function,” said Zerbo.
A report by the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project, released in May, said that levels of cancer-causing benzene at the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in 2021 were twice the limit allowed by the EPA.
In 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners purchased the site in a bankruptcy court. They plan to redevelop the area into what they call the Bellwether District.
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You can read the full report in full below.