2007 New York City steam explosion

More than 12 similar Con Edison steam pipe explosions have occurred in New York City since 1987. One of the most significant events occurred near Gramercy Park in 1989, killing two Con Edison workers and one bystander, and causing damage of several million U.S. dollars. The utility eventually pleaded guilty to lying about asbestos contamination from that accident, and paid a $2 million fine. A steam pipe explosion at Washington Square in 2000 near the New York University Bobst Library left a 15-foot (4.5 m) crater in the pavement on Washington Square South, scattering debris and leaving traces of asbestos in the air. ==Event==

The explosion, which occurred just before 6:00 p.m. local time, near the peak of the evening rush hour, was caused by the failure of a Consolidated Edison underground steam pipe installed in 1924. The pipe was located at 41st Street and Lexington Avenue, near Grand Central Terminal. The towering cloud of billowing steam, higher than the nearby -tall Chrysler Building, leaving a crater about 35 feet (10 m) wide A 51-year-old New Jersey woman, who worked a block from the site, died of a heart attack suffered while fleeing the disaster area. two critically. The most seriously injured victims were a 23-year-old tow truck driver from Brooklyn, who was scalded over 80 percent of his body by the steam and had to be put in a medically induced coma, A witness reported that the tow truck was lifted 12 feet (4 m) by the escaping steam, higher than a nearby city bus. ==Cause==

The investigation report was issued on December 18, 2007. Engineers were unable to access the crater to assess the damage until the tow truck was removed on July 22, and the on-site investigation was complicated by the asbestos contamination in the crater. States of water Steam hammer was suggested as a possible cause. It is a phenomenon that can occur when cold water comes in contact with a hot steam pipe, causing the steam inside to condense into liquid water, resulting in multi-phase flow which can damage piping. Runoff from the heavy rain that day, The utility initially reported that instrument readings did not indicate any pressure buildup prior to the explosion. The age of the pipe, and the difficulty of inspecting underground infrastructure, made corrosion a possible factor as well, Robert Caligiuri, an engineer for Exponent Engineering, blamed the rupture on a "crack-like flaw" in a welded seam in the pipe wall, in a preliminary engineering report released on October 23, 2007, that was commissioned by attorneys representing the tow truck driver badly burned in the explosion. He stated, "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 utility called the report "misguided" and said in a statement that, "our independent consulting engineers have determined that there was no degradation in the condition of the pipe prior to the rupture," Asbestos Pipes of that age often were wrapped in asbestos, a known human carcinogen, and the site was declared an "asbestos containment area." Although some asbestos was later found in the solid debris, no friable particles were detected in any of the air samples. However, anyone entering the containment zone was still required to wear a respirator and protective clothing during the clean-up. This caused some to openly question the air test results, particularly since false reassurances on air quality were given by officials after the September 11 attacks. ==Effects==

Emergency response The New York City Fire Department initially sounded a second alarm, then rapidly ratcheted the event up to a five-alarm response, This prevented residents from returning to their homes that evening, and kept thousands of workers from their offices the following day, Although an underground electrical transformer and feeder cables were also damaged, there were no significant power outages reported, but customers in the affected area were asked to reduce demand. Cellular telephone service was overloaded in the immediate aftermath, and blocked calls were reported as many people in the area tried to make calls at the same time. Bus and subway service were also affected. The 42nd Street Shuttle and IRT Lexington Avenue Line and train service had to be suspended in Manhattan, and the train was rerouted via the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line, but the subway infrastructure was not damaged. Subway service was restored overnight, before the next morning's rush hour, with all trains initially bypassing the Grand Central – 42nd Street station. Grand Central Terminal was also at least partially evacuated in the immediate aftermath, Con Edison has offered to reimburse businesses for direct costs of damage and clean-up, but not for business interruption costs, such as lost productivity and revenue. A woman was also injured in the immediate panic of the crowd evacuating the explosion area. She was trampled by the crowd and severely injured her ankle and knee requiring numerous surgeries. After dying from cancer, her son announced that her lawsuit with the city and Con Edison was settled. Her story was well documented by her son, a producer on the Ron and Fez show on Sirius XM Radio Political aftermath New York City Council member Daniel Garodnick announced that City Hall hearings on the explosion were set for August 7. The city council also held hearings after the 2006 Queens blackout where Con Edison C.E.O. Kevin Burke was subjected to a grueling round of questioning by local lawmakers. The New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other city lawmakers said they intended to ask tough questions of the utility at the hearings, and would be reevaluating Con Edison's monopoly status, indicating that they have lost confidence in the utility company. Longhi provided little additional information pending completion of the investigation, sparking a heated exchange with Quinn. On December 27, 2007, in response to the report by the utility, New York City Councilman Eric Gioia criticized the company for identifying the city as potentially responsible for the blast in an October court filing laying the groundwork for a possible future lawsuit. That notice of claim said city sewers, pipes and drains could have leaked cold water onto the hot steam pipe. Gioa's statement said, "they'll do anything they can to deflect blame and avoid taking responsibility, but now this report shows that Con Ed's poor maintenance contributed to this deadly explosion." In Boston, Massachusetts, which has a network of steam distribution pipes operated by Veolia Energy Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino used the event in New York to push for proposed state legislation regulating commercial steam distribution systems that was progressing slowly. A young boy was severely burned two months earlier by a burst steam pipe in that city. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a network of more than of steam pipes operated by Veolia Energy Philadelphia, but the city had not had a similar incident for many years. In 1989, a steam explosion at 15th and Wood Streets sent debris into the air damaging some cars. In the wake of the New York City explosion, city officials credited the utility for the extended period of safe operations. == See also ==