Largest Oil Refinery On The East Coast Explodes, Rocks Houses Miles Away
The largest oil refinery on the Eastern Seaboard experienced an explosion Friday morning that rocked houses miles away and even knocked the art off of Philadelphia residents’ walls.
Fire crews battled flames at Philadelphia Energy Solutions after a vat of butane ignited and exploded around 4 a.m., reported NBC Philadelphia. No one was injured because workers were not near the vat when it caught fire, even though the flames caused smaller explosions as it spread.
WATCH:
PHILADELPHIA REFINERY FIRE: Video of the explosion at a Southwest Philadelphia refinery captured by a 6abc Action News traffic camera. https://t.co/Gy3VRZZyyF pic.twitter.com/mbuyg6Lcw0
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) June 21, 2019
The explosion was felt in South Jersey and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, according to WPVI. Debris rained down on streets blocks away, and smoke from the fire reached Philadelphia International Airport, reported CNN.
Portions of the nearby I-76 expressway and Platt Bridge were closed while crews fought the fire.
WATCH:
https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1142015853346603013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Philadelphia Energy Solutions is monitoring air quality in the neighborhood and readings showed the area “is clear,” city Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said, according to CNN.
This is not the first time flames have been reported at the facility. A small fire broke out at the complex on June 10, prompting protests from environmentalists about the complex’s safety.
The complex is the 10th largest in the U.S. and employs more than 1,000 people, according to CNN.
Philadelphia Energy Solutions filed for bankruptcy and blamed it on low oil prices and high cost of complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard in January 2018.
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