Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery explosion hurled 38,000-pound piece of shrapnel across Schuylkill River

The explosion that destroyed the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in June was so powerful it launched a 38,000-pound piece of equipment all the way across the Schuylkill River, according to a report released Wednesday. A failing pipe caused the disastrous refinery fire and explosions. In addition to the debris launched airborne, the incident caused the release of thousands of pounds of potentially deadly chemicals into the air, including including hydrofluoric acid, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board report states.