Investigation Into 2023 Blast That Killed Seven Workers Seeks $2.57 Million Civil Penalty and Major Pipeline Safety Reforms

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PUC’s) independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) has filed a formal complaint against UGI Utilities, Inc. – Gas Division (UGI) following a detailed investigation into the March 2023 natural gas explosion at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading, Berks County that killed seven workers and injured ten others.

The complaint filed today alleges multiple violations of the Public Utility Code, Commission regulations, and federal pipeline safety standards related to the design, operation, and oversight of UGI’s gas distribution facilities serving the factory.

I&E is seeking $2,576,627 in civil penalties — the maximum amount permitted by law — along with a series of corrective actions aimed at strengthening pipeline safety oversight, addressing risks associated with aging plastic pipeline materials, and expanding advanced methane leak detection technologies.

Among the key corrective actions proposed in the complaint, I&E calls for UGI to:

• Expand the deployment o…

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