On March 24, 2023, a tragic explosion occurred at the R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading. This horrific event sent shockwaves through the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We still feel those effects today as we continue to mourn the seven lives we sadly lost.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted a thorough and meticulous investigation to help our community fully understand what went wrong and how we can prevent similar incidents in the future. This morning, NTSB released the final report of their investigation and provided several recommendations. As legislators, it is our job to do all that we can within our capacity to institute change for the betterment and safety of our communities.

This is why we will soon introduce a package of bills providing for each of the three recommendations made by NTSB to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: (1) to modify the Underground Utility Line Protection Law to require all owners and operators of pipelines transporting steam or other high-temperature materials located in public rights-of-way to register their assets with the Pennsylvania One Call System; (2) to clarify that confidential security information disclosure restrictions do not apply to the National Transportation Safety Board when it is conducting an accident investigation; and (3) to require the installation of natural gas alarms that meet the specifications of National Fire Protection Association 715 in businesses, residences, and other buildings where people congregate that could be affected by a natural gas leak.

We urge our colleagues to join us in co-sponsoring this essential measure in preventing horrific incidents such as these from occurring in other communities.