Con Edison Admits Fault For Steam Pipe Explosion

The P.R. mavens at Con Ed might not shout their acceptance of accountability from the rooftops, but the deal they made regulators is pretty damn good. Last year's steam explosion near Grand Central killed one woman and injured many others, including a truck driver that was severely burned by the blast. For a while Con Ed tried to escape blame while penalizing businesses in the area, but after more than a year, they are singing a much more pleasant tune.

From The NY Daily News:

Con Edison has agreed to swallow almost $24 million in repair costs from last summer's devastating steam blast, as well as the extra $2 million a year it must now pay for liability insurance.

The utility also agreed to credit customers near the blast site at Lexington Ave. and 41st St. for utility bills they paid when they couldn't enter their buildings.

Regulators and a state consumer watchdog have signed onto the proposal, which would settle a state probe into whether Con Ed improperly operated its Manhattan steam network.

The deal "assures that the utility, rather than the ratepayer, pays for repairing the infrastructure, upgrading the system and addressing customer claims," said Mindy Bockstein, head of the state Consumer Protection Board. "The proposal represents the best deal we could have achieved for New York consumers."

The ratepayer has no business shelling more dough out for Con Ed's mistakes. Operating that steam system is like playing with fire and apparently safety was not the top concern immediately before that pipe tore the street open and damaged several buildings. The best solution is to shut it down, but when it comes to infrastructure in New York, or in this country for that matter, unfortunately that isn't of enough concern to the government. I wonder how many of these tragic events have to occur before they get it?