Technicians with Consolidated Edison tested the air and street surfaces or asbestos shortly after the steam pipe rupture near Manhattan’s Grand Central Station on Wednesday. The blast, which blew a 25-foot-wide hole through 41st Street just before 6 p.m., killed one person and injured around 30 others, including three firefighters.
The asbestos testing was conducted out of concerns that the 83-year-old steam pipe may have been insulated with asbestos materials. Asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other diseases.
Health department officials urged people in the area to stay inside, keep their widows closed, and switch their air conditioning systems to re-circulate to protect against possible air-borne asbestos. People exposed to the initial blast were also urged to wash with soap and water and store their clothes in plastic bags until the threat of asbestos had been fully evaluated.
The Con Edison Steam Business Unit involved in the blast is the largest district steam system in the world, heating 1,800 buildings through a series of underground pipes in Manhattan.
For the full story, go to www.bloomberg.com.
