PECO Responds To Bucks Co. Nursing Home Blast Report

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — PECO has responded to the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the gas explosion at a Bristol Township nursing home that killed three people last month.

PECO said it has recently taken steps to enhance the safety and reliability of its system, and the safety and performance of its employees and contractors in the wake of the gas explosion.

"Independent of any external investigation, PECO remains committed to the integrity of our system and ensuring our processes and procedures are designed to address a range of situations," PECO said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we recognize the importance of continuous improvement and vigilance with respect to the safe and reliable delivery of electric and natural gas service."

PECO's parent company Exelon provided natural gas to the facility through a distribution system that included an underground 1.25-inch-diameter, coated steel service line and an indoor rotary meter set located in the basement, the report states.

According to the NTSB report, the maintenance director of the Bristol Health and Rehab Center contacted PECO around 11 a.m. on Dec. 23 to report a natural gas odor in the basement boiler room and a first-floor hallway.

An Exelon energy technician arrived just before noon that day and identified a leak on a meter set valve in the boiler room, the NTSB report said. The report said that the technician then contacted dispatch for repair assistance, and an Exelon foreman dispatched a meter services technician to make repairs around 1:20 p.m.

The building exploded about 2:15 p.m., with about 180 people at the facility, the report said.

Two people were killed in the blast, while a third person died from injuries earlier this month. Over 20 other people suffered injuries in the blast.

The victims were identified as residents Patricia Mero, 66, and Ann Reddy, and 52-year-old nurse Muthoni Nduthu.

"We want to express our most heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, to those who were injured, to the residents who have been displaced, and to the entire Bristol community affected by this tragic event," PECO said.

Following any significant incident, PECO said it promptly identifies and implements opportunities to enhance our service for customers and the communities we serve.

"Our response to this incident underscores our dedication to ongoing improvement and the importance of maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability," PECO said.

Some of PECO's enhancements include:

• Assessed existing population of meters currently located indoors and reprioritized relocation of indoor meters to outdoor locations.
• Strengthened procedures and training with our employees and enhanced processes to help ensure employees responding to issues are equipped to further maintain the safety of our systems.
• Updated our public outreach process.

While PECO continues to participate in the NTSB investigation, the utility said that all questions about the preliminary report and overall investigation to the NTSB.