Before sunrise on a June morning in 2019, a section of pipe nearly five decades old ruptured at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, spewing a cloud of flammable vapor that hung to the ground like a spectral fog.
Within minutes, according to a surveillance video, a series of explosions in the refinery’s alkylation unit rained huge pieces of shrapnel across the refinery and released 5,239 pounds of hydrofluoric acid (HF), a chemical so toxic that worker-safety advocates have called for its banishment from use in refining.
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Photo Credit: Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Enquirer
Who Will Pay For Damages Caused By Wildfires? The Utility Companies or Us?
By Sharon Franklin. As climate change drastically increases the frequency and severity of wildfires, utility companies say they’re facing growing risk for payouts that could
chejadmin
May 7, 2025