Part Three: Clean-up of New York City Midtown Explosion Frozen Zone

Trouble was building for months and repair crews were sent to 41st Street and Lexington Avenue numerous times. Last December in 2006, a permit was issued for repairs and the same steam main was fixed. It was worked on again in March and again in April of 2007. An all clear was declared on July 18th and repairs were scheduled for August 2007, a few hours before the explosion. Less than 6 ½ hours after inspection it exploded, according to televised news reports in New York on local television stations.

On August 19th, 1989, a steam pipe in Gramercy Park at 323 Gramercy Park South burst similarly to the one in Midtown this past week. At that time, one person died and three persons were injured. Asbestos was confirmed four days later asbestos and hundreds were told to leave their homes. Many remember having stayed in a hotel for months after thinking it would only take a few days. Con Edison was indicted and fined for not informing the residents of the danger and Con Edison also settled many private claims at that time.

Steam pipes are part of an aging steam system network largely unseen below the ground. The steam system in New York City is the largest in world. It is responsible for providing winter heating as well as air conditioning and power. The city was built over the steam pipes. This old system is made up of pipes fifty years old and older. A twenty inch hole in bottom basement of each building provides heat and power through high pressure. Steam used for air conditioning by driving a turbo is less costly than electricity. The pipes are old but the surrounding system supporting the pipes is more modern, according to televised news reports in New York on local television stations.

How much is being spent to fix aging steam pipes? Con Edison has been spending less and less each year. They spent 24 million dollars in 2004 and 13.4 million dollars in 2005 and even less in 2006 was spent on pipe maintenance. Executives of Con Edison point to an increase in capital spending on buying new equipment and making long term improvements. The steam market share and returns have been declining and steam is less profitable than it has been in the past. Con Edison is reported to have invested 20 million this year in capital investments. Steam pipes cost up to 4,000 dollars per foot.

The entire Frozen Zone area has to essentially be rebuilt. Right now there is the expense to clean up. Small offices need to use hepa filters. The clean up is going on at a snails pace some say. Black garbage bags filled with debris collected with shovels or vacuums are lined up in the heart of the Frozen Zone near the crater. Many workers seen cleaning the area buildings did not have on gloves and had muddy hands. In some cases, chemicals have been brought to wash off some of the workers. There is still danger of asbestos, however, according to televised news reports in New York on local television stations. Ongoing testing is being conducted.

Water and debris is collected and kept out of the sewers. The initial explosion lasted for hours at the height of rush hour, spewing mud, debris, water, asbestos and asphalt. A great deal of the debris already contaminated the sewers. There are three kinds of asbestos: There are chunks of asbestos, pulverized asbestos and airborne particles. There is a continued monitoring of the air in the surrounding area. Over the weekened, windows that had broken in high rise buildigs were broken out by workers and there are plans to have the windows boarded up according to televised reports.

The start of the weekend following the explosion, the Frozen Zone was shrinking. From 38th Street to 57th Street on Lexington Avenue was closed. Also 40th Street to 43rd Street and from Vanderbilt Avenue to 3rd Avenue was closed. Third Avenue itself was opened. Anyone who needed to go across town did so South of 34th Street according to televised news reports in New York on local television stations.

As the first weekend following the blast comes to an end, several stores have reopened and the Frozen Zone is now from 40 Street to 42 Street and from Park Avenue to Third Avenue. This is considerably smaller. According to televised news reports, it is hoped the 42 Street will be opened up by Monday 7/23/2007. What was found under the truck is yet to be reported. It was several hours after the flatbed truck and the crane arrived, about five hours later, before it was removed according to televised news reports in New York on local television stations. A funeral is going to take place in Haethorne, New Jersey on Monday for 51 year old Lois Baumerach, who died of a heart attack while escaping the explosion.