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U.S. NEWS Friday 20 July 2018

NY officials: No major public

health threat from steam blast

By KAREN MATTHEWS the time. and firefighters blocked
Associated Press Daniel Lizio-Katzen, 42, was access to buildings close
NEW YORK (AP) — An ag- riding his bike home to the to the explosion, crippling
ing steam pipe containing West Village when he saw their neighborhood and
cancer-causing asbestos the plume from the high- their workday. Subway
exploded beneath Fifth pressure steam explosion. trains were diverted around
Avenue in Manhattan "It was a pretty violent ex- the blast area.
early Thursday, spewing a plosion," Lizio-Katzen told Similar explosions over the
geyser of white vapor 10 the Daily News. "The steam year have drawn attention
stories high and forcing an was shooting up into the air to the aging infrastructure Steam billows on New York's Fifth Avenue, Thursday, July 19,
evacuation of 49 buildings, about 70 feet. It was push- beneath the streets of the 2018.
but city officials said there ing up at such a high pres- nation's largest city. q Associated Press
was no major public health sure that it was spewing all
threat. of this dirt and debris. The
Five people, including three cars around were coated
civilians, suffered minor inju- in mud. ... It left a huge
ries from the 6:40 a.m. blast crater in the middle of the
on 21st Street, and officials street."
warned people who may Brendan Walsh, 22, a senior
have gotten material on at New York University, had
them to bag their clothes just gotten off a train and
and shower immediately as was headed to class when
a precaution. he saw the plume and "a
On a street near the blast large scatter of debris. ... I
site, firefighters stripped was standing behind the
off their heavy outerwear, police line when a Con Ed
bagged it and entered a worker came rushing over
red decontamination tent and screaming at police
in their gym shorts and T- and firefighters to push
shirts to take showers. everyone north because
"There was asbestos in the he was worried that there
steam line casing," Mayor could be secondary man-
Bill de Blasio said about hole explosions."
eight hours after the explo- "Everyone — including the
sion, but "the air cleared police and firefighters who
fairly quickly after the inci- were standing by — started
dent. ... There is no mean- moving back," he said.
ingful presence of asbestos Democratic Gov. Andrew
in the air at this point." Cuomo directed the state
Nevertheless, responders Department of Public Ser-
continued to wear masks vice to conduct a full inves-
and their vehicles were tigation into the cause of
hosed off. the explosion and whether
De Blasio said it could take any "utility activities contrib-
days to check and clean uted to it."
the buildings, which include "In conjunction with that
28 in a "hot zone" closest to investigation, the Depart-
the site where the blast left ments of Environmental
a crater roughly 20 feet by Conservation and Labor
15 feet (6 meters by 4.5 me- are standing by to assist
ters) in the street. in asbestos testing, assess-
It was not immediately de- ment and with the disposal
termined what caused the of contaminated material,"
blast in the 20-inch (50-cm) Cuomo said in a statement.
pipe. Businesses were braced for
The mayor said no work was the worst as the response
being done on the pipe at dragged on and police