For those who don’t know, back in 2014, a deadly blast occurred that took the lives of eight people “and destroyed two buildings.” As a result, a $153 million settlement has finally been reached between Con Edison and the Public Service Commission of New York that will ensure that the utility company will foot “the bill for repairs to its gas distribution system.” According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Con Edison customers will not be responsible for paying for the repairs caused by a deadly blast.
For those who don’t know, a deadly Harlem blast occurred back in 2014 that took the lives of eight people “and destroyed two buildings.” As a result, a $153 million settlement has finally been reached between Con Edison and the Public Service Commission of New York that will ensure that the utility company will foot “the bill for repairs to its gas distribution system.” According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Con Edison customers will not be responsible for paying for the repairs caused by a deadly blast.
So how did the explosion happen in the first place? Was is an accident? Well for starters, the “Department of Public Service found that Con Ed was to blame for failing to adhere to several state gas safety regulations.” After the explosion occurred, investigations into what happened, including one conducted by the National Transit Safety Board, found a “faulty gas pipe maintained by the utility company, which had been ignored by the Department of Environmental Protection for more than a decade, allowed gas to fill the surrounding buildings.” In a situation like that, it was only a matter of time before an explosion occurred.
When an explosion finally did occur on March 12, it “leveled 1644 and 1646 Park Ave., near East 116th Street, and left more than 50 people injured.” Perhaps one of the most tragic things about the situation, though, was a statement from the governor when he said: “the East Harlem explosion was devastating and entirely avoidable.” It was avoidable. Eight people lost their lives and more than 50 were injured in an event that was entirely avoidable if the utility company hadn’t gotten lazy. The governor added:
“This landmark action is a pointed reminder to the energy companies of their awesome responsibility to maintain safety first and foremost. This administration will continue to hold utilities accountable to the highest standards, and enforce the requirement that they place life and safety before any other consideration”
Fortunately, the tragedy and ongoing investigations have spurred Con Edison into action and they’ve begun to implement improvements to how they operate. In fact, in a statement by Con Edison, the tragedy “led to significant safety improvements and heightened public awareness.”
So far the settlement “has no impact on civil suits brought against the utility company,” and it will go on the books as “the largest gas-safety related money settlement in state history.”
Sources:
Con Ed to Pay $153M in Settlement For Fatal Harlem Blast
East Harlem Explosion: Con Edison To Pay $153.3 Million For Deadly 2014 Blast
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