U.S. federal investigators subpoena Pennsylvania agency for records related to chocolate plant explosion
U.S. federal security investigators issued a subpoena to Pennsylvania’s public utility regulator on Monday for paperwork associated to a deadly explosion at a chocolate manufacturing facility, escalating a months-long authorized dispute over the state company’s authority to share the delicate info.
The National Transportation Safety Board mentioned the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has refused to offer unredacted inspection and investigation reviews for UGI Utilities Inc., the pure fuel utility on the middle of the probe into the March 24 blast on the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading.
The highly effective pure fuel explosion leveled one constructing, closely broken one other and killed seven folks. Investigators have beforehand mentioned they’re taking a look at a pair of fuel leaks as a attainable reason behind or contributor to the blast.
The interagency dispute over 5 years’ value of UGI information concerned a battle between state and federal legislation.
The Public Utility Commission mentioned it couldn’t present the information within the format that the security company demanded, citing a state legislation that protects “confidential security information” about key utility infrastructure from public disclosure, even to different authorities businesses.
The fee mentioned it supplied security investigators an opportunity to examine the reviews at its Harrisburg workplace or to signal a nondisclosure settlement, however the federal company refused.
“This is a unique situation where a federal agency is demanding that the PUC violate state law,” PUC spokesperson Nils Hagen-Frederiksen mentioned in a written assertion. “It is unfortunate that the NTSB has rejected possible solutions to this issue, but we continue working to resolve this impasse.”
The security board mentioned federal rules entitled it to the utility firm information and asserted the PUC was required to show them over.
Because federal legislation preempts state legislation, NTSB chair Jennifer L. Homendy wrote to the state utility fee chair, the PUC “has no legal basis to withhold the … inspection reports from the NTSB in any manner.”
In addition to issuing the subpoena, the security company mentioned it additionally barred the Public Utility Commission from having any additional position within the federal probe.
“The actions of PA PUC have evidenced a lack of cooperation and adherence to our party processes and prevent your continued participation in the investigation,” Homendy wrote.
About 70 Palmer manufacturing employees and 35 workplace employees had been working in two adjoining buildings on the time of the blast. Employees in each buildings informed federal investigators they may scent fuel earlier than the explosion. Workers on the plant have accused Palmer of ignoring warnings of a pure fuel leak, saying the plant, in a small city 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, ought to have been evacuated.
