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?

Con Ed Finally Owns Up For Steam Pipe Blast

The hot weather of July feels like a mirage to our winter weather of late December, but for one steamy day on Lex and 41st, the steam pipe explosion that occurred is still etched into the minds of thousands. At first Con Edison took no responsibility and tried to hamper an investigation into the cause of the blast, but public outcry let it continue. Now that five months has passed, a new report sheds light on their role in a blast that killed one woman and injured dozens, one of them so severely he was put into a coma so that he would not feel the pain of the burns.

From The Daily News:

Con Edison crews pumped the epoxy into a nearby leak four months before the July 18 blast, but no one noticed some of it seeped into the "steam trap" valve - leading to catastrophe when the 20-inch steampipe filled with water.

"It's a combination of clogged traps and elevated water levels underneath the ground," Con Ed spokesman Michael Clendenin said last night. "We think the clog was from an epoxy resin that was used to seal a flange."

The clump of resin led to a catastrophic condition called "water hammer." That blew the 87-year-old pipe wide open at E. 41st St. and Lexington Ave.

This development should open the floodgates to lawsuits against the utility giant from all of those that were affected by the blast, whether it was bodily injury or loss of income by the area's businesses. They definitely deserve it and while spokesman Michael Clendenin says that over a thousand traps were investigated and that they found no other problem, why should we believe him or his employer? The lawyer of the two badly-injured victims doesn't trust them, and neither should the rest of us.

Sounds like it is time to demand an independent investigation.

Do You Trust ConEd?

When my ConEd bill comes in the mail, I generally trust that their record of my electricity usage is on the mark. Besides that, they have no credibility, especially when it comes to why the steam pipe ruptured in East Midtown back in July. Their lawsuit against the city is the latest event that has angered the city and its residents for their shameful behavior of not taking care of our city's infrastructure.

From The Daily News:

The Con Edison steampipe that exploded under Lexington Ave. this summer had a deadly flaw - an incomplete weld that blew wide open when it was hit by pressurized water, a new report charges.

"The location of the approximately 5-foot-long rupture in the steampipe precisely coincides with a pre-existing crack-like flaw along the weld seam in the pipe wall," wrote Robert Caligiurr, an engineer studying the blast for two of its victims.

"The observed crack-like flaw appears to be old and is large enough that, in my opinion, Con Ed should have detected it prior to the rupture. Once detected, good and accepted practices would have required that this pipe section be immediately replaced."

The steel pipe, installed in 1924, exploded July 18 after water built up in the pipe and led to a dangerous condition called "water hammer," which slammed a slug of water into the wall of the pipe at incredible force.

This report was made possible by Kenneth Thompson, the lawyer that represents the victims of the blast. However, Con Edison immediately came back to say that there was no problem with the pipe, even though two months ago they claimed the pipe was impossible to inspect.

The utility is digging itself into a hole here and if they want more shovels, then more power to em'. They have made enemies with Bloomberg and other city officials with their lawsuit, relinquishing the powerful shield of the NYC apparatus. The people affected by the blast, whether by losing a loved one, being injured or having their businesses shut down are already focused on taking on Con Edison. Ultimately these lawsuits will shine more light on the practices of ConEd and the negligence that they are 'allegedly' guilty of.

Con Ed Tries To Shift Blame To The City

With lawsuits piling up on its shoulders, Con Edison is trying to do something about the mess they created, killing one woman, severely injuring another and bringing a section of the city to a halt. The word I'm looking for here isn't "accountability" because they are doing their best to stay as far away from owning up to their actions as possible.

From AM New York:

The utility facing multiple lawsuits over a massive steam pipe explosion has filed legal papers saying the city may be to blame for the blast.

A notice of claim filed by Consolidated Edison says the July 18 explosion, which left a woman dead of a heart attack and injured about 40 people, "may have been caused, in whole or in part, by acts or omissions of the city."

Filing a notice of claim is the first step toward a lawsuit. But Con Edison spokesman Michael Clendenin described the utility's notice, filed Monday, as "a routine procedural matter, necessary in the event the investigation determines that the city's infrastructure contributed to the steam rupture."

The city is far from perfect, but what happened on 3rd Ave. and 41st Street back in July was the result of a faulty steam pipe. Those steam pipes are maintained by the utility and there was work being done in that area on those pipes by Con Edison.

The accruing lawsuits are in the hundreds of millions of dollars, both from businesses that have lost the ability to function and the family that lost Lois Ellen Baumerich when she suffered cardiac arrest attributed to the explosion. It was truly a miracle that only one person lost their life in that melee. Now Con Edison should stand up and take what is coming to them, and not try to escape blame by pinning it on the city.

East Midtown Explosion Was No Accident

Since the blast last month, it was suspected that the explosion was not just a freak occurrence. Now there is proof and it is starting to complicate matters. Con Edison and the city want to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible and two lanes were opened on Lexington this week, but due diligence is still needed with lawsuits pending and people that demand accountability instead of a cover up. Well the fight between the tow truck driver's lawyer and Con Ed is about to heat up.

From The Daily News:

A crucial Con Edison steam valve wasn't working just before last month's deadly steampipe explosion, a bombshell affidavit from a top state regulator says.

The "steam trap," just feet away from the blast site at 41st St. and Lexington Ave., was supposed to drain water out of the steampipe to prevent a catastrophic condition called "water hammer," which causes water to slam into itself with incredible pressure.

The stainless-steel trap was installed in December 2006, but preliminary tests after the explosion revealed it wasn't operating and had a possible debris buildup, according to the sworn statement by Thomas Dvorsky, an engineer who heads the state Public Service Department office in charge of steam service.

So there was definitely a pre-existing problem. City and state officials want to cut the trap open to investigate, while the manufacturer of the device says that it was designed to keep water away even if it failed. The lawyer for Gregory McCullough also has reservations:

McCullough's lawyer Kenneth Thompson has blocked the tests, saying the utility can't be trusted to investigate itself.

"I do not want this to happen to any other family," said McCullough's mother, Tanya McCullough-Stewart. "He does cry. You can see the pain in his eyes."

Of course that is an emotional appeal (well-deserved of course, the poor guy is facing possible amputation of an arm and a leg) but so what. An independent observer needs to be brought in to oversee this, I wouldn't trust Con Edison either.

Con Ed Chief Can't Be Bothered By City Council

The City Council convened today to address concerns and investigate the steam pipe explosion last month near Grand Central Terminal. One witness you would think should show up is the #1 guy at Con Edison. Those pipes are controlled by the utility giant and as the chief, Kevin Burke has a duty to testify. Mr. Burke apparently disagrees, and didn't bother showing up for the hearing.

From 1010 WINS:

NEW YORK (AP) -- City Council members criticized Con Ed's CEO Tuesday for not appearing in person to answer questions about last month's steam explosion in midtown.

Images from Steam Pipe Explosion

The Council members also blasted the company for not being able to say why the July 18 explosion near Grand Central Terminal took place.

A Council committee had invited Con Ed chief Kevin Burke to testify.

Business leaders say that money lost by nearby stores that are still closed could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Burke needs to be held accountable for the explosion, especially as midtown businesses continue to suffer with ongoing repairs. The larger infrastructure problem is bigger than Burke, thats for sure. Yet Con Ed is under his control, and he should at least have the decency to show up for New Yorkers who want to know what happened and why.

NYC Irony

I took this on my cellphone camera late last week on Lexington between 36th and 37th Street. This little fix-it site has been there for a while now, long before last week's mishap. Hmmm, only four blocks away from the blast site. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

NYC Not Doing Enough In Wake Of Steam Pipe Explosion

Days after the spectacular explosion by Grand Central the city is doing plenty to clean up their mess. The ones that aren't being taken care of are the victims. Injured citizens are beginning to file lawsuits against Con Edison and businesses are dumbfounded by the $10,000 loans being offered to help offset the dramatic decrease in business throughout the area. Con Ed is looking at a massive lawsuit or at least multiple cases from shops and people affected by the blast.

From The Daily News:

Francine Dorf of Bay Ridge, who lost her older sister on 9/11, filed suit against Con Ed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, saying she was treated for smoke in her eyes and lungs after fleeing through asbestos-tainted debris.

Dorf, 52, said she feared she was caught in a terrorist bombing after the explosion near her E. 42nd St. office, triggering her posttraumatic stress disorder.

"All the stress, it brought back what happened six years ago," Dorf said.

Meanwhile, business owners pressed Con Ed for financial assistance.

"Con Ed should really help out," said Naser Abu, manager of Fresh Pizza on 43rd St. and Third Ave., which lost $6,500. "It's their fault and their responsibility."

Thats right, it is their responsibility. I almost feel like not paying my next few electric bills because I live near the blast...but I won't go there now. People's health and their livelihoods have been bent seriously out of shape because Con Ed and the city did not do enough to ensure the safety of its residents even while knowing these problems exist. There have been multiple explosions of this sort in the city's past and we should have been ready for it.

Bloomberg proved himself oblivious to the concerns of the people yet again, saying that the Small Business loans should be enough. He isn't letting Con Ed off the hook of course, but the blase attitude is distasteful to say the least. New Yorkers deserve more than this crap.

It's Not The Steam Pipe's Fault

The world is an inter-connected place, so there is no reason to believe that the explosion near Grand Central on Wednesday was an isolated event. The papers have mentioned the Gramercy Park explosion from 1989, but it is more of a side note than a beginning of an in-depth look at whats going on with our infrastructure. Reading the DMI Blog this morning, Elana Levin's "When Infrastructure Attacks" put the big picture on display with great style. Loved the title too.

From The DMI Blog:

I should probably explain this blog post's title. When chasms in the earth open up near Grand Central the media tends to report it. Even Fox. But what you won't see in the media by and large is a discussion of why it is that these accidents take place. Sure they'll explain how the explosion was caused by water hitting an antediluvian steam pipe but they just won't make the connection between the lack of investment in our country's infrastructure and things going kablooie. You see it takes money to keep any locality running. And localities get that money through our taxes.

Infrastructure is quite literally crumbling beneath our feat and to paraphrase Rick Perlstein "it's not the terrorists, it's the tax cuts". You see you can't have modern society without infrastructure, like emergency services, a working sewage system and a power grid. And if your only goal as a society is to cut taxes eventually you are left with asbestos covered steam pipes from 1924 that explode and kill people - and yes, damage business interests.

One thing I really like about Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC is that his plan seriously addresses infrastructure as a long term investment for our city. As a major economic engine for the country we all need to be concerned about NYC having ongoing access to clean water, the ability to safely meet (and reduce) our need for electricity, and get all of our roads into safe condition, just to name a few tasks highlighted in the plan. It's not just NYC that needs to plan ahead- it's the whole country.

The problem with the country and infrastructure is that there is a trend starting to form that privatizes the repair of America's wires and pipes. It's a free-market libertarian's dream but a nightmare for the rest of us. As Elana said in the post, our money goes a lot farther when it is collectively put together for the common good. When companies propose to fix infrastructure for profit, its the bottom line that comes before the common good.

President H.W. Bush signed an Executive Order allowing for the privatization of infrastructure back in 1992. It is already happening with our highways. The more our pipes fall apart, the greater the demand of corporate America to seize the opportunity to increase their profits. With an Administration hell bent on destroying the capabilities of our government and cities that are desperate to fix the problems that can't be fixed without federal dollars (excluding cities like New York with large tax bases).

The Congress needs to draft legislation to appropriate money to fix our infrastructure so that we can keep on having the civilized society that we enjoy. Repairs can also make the system more energy efficient as well. And we won't have to worry about market-based solutions that provide access to customers that only increase returns such as what is starting to happen in the Telecom industry in relation to rural customers where it is more expensive to reach them, the same thing can happen with wires, steam and especially water.

Living On The Eastside, Should We Wear A Mask?

So it is a little over a day since the giant steam pipe explosion over here in Manhattan. I live about a half mile from the Con Ed Catastrophe that killed one person from cardiac arrest and injured many others. Even tonight, Third Avenue is blocked off from 34th St. up to the site with tons of various equipment and trucks brought in for the cleanup.

Cops are wearing masks in and around the area, but relatively few citizens don the attire that can block the poisonous effects of asbestos. You would think if it is good enough for the police, it might be as well for the residents of the area, so what gives?

City officials including the mayor say there is no asbestos in the air, so why the masks? Just a precaution perhaps? If thats the case, where's my mask?