Businesses Near Chocolate Factory Explosion Eligible For Federal Grants
(Reading, PA) -- Pennsylvania state leaders have gotten the West Reading chocolate factory explosion certified as a disaster event. That clears the way for nearby businesses that were affected by the blast to receive federal grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Governor Josh Shapiro announced the declaration Thursday. The explosion in March at the R.M. Palmer Company killed seven people who were working inside. One employee was recovered alive from the rubble. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report in May naming natural gas as the culprit.