Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee, chaired a hearing on a package of 10 bills designed to increase the safety of our gas infrastructure. The Committee heard testimony from representatives of the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), industry experts, property owners, and other interested members of the public.
In the past two years, New York City has experienced four major gas-related explosions, with the most severe taking place March of last year, where 2 people died and 22 were injured. In response to these explosions, the City Council introduced a package of legislation with the goal of improving gas safety.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the first-responders affected by the four major gas-related explosions that took place over the last two years. As Chair of the Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings, I am extremely troubled by these incidents," said Council Member Williams. "As we learn more about how to fix the mistakes that led to those tragedies, I am increasingly confident about the City's ability to find solutions."
"In a relatively short time we've seen a number of gas explosions take place in the City; many of them due to failures to report and handle gas leaks properly. To ensure the well-being of New Yorkers and first responders, it's vital we introduce legislation that will implement and enforce a system of safety procedures followed by all building owners and plumbers," said Council Member Williams.
The 10 bills look to improve gas safety by requiring inspections of gas piping systems, annual reports on the state of gas infrastructure in the city, and that natural gas alarms be placed in housing units. The package also calls for building owners to notify tenants of procedures that should take place during a gas leak.
Int. No. 738 would create a journeyman plumber gas qualification system. It would also bar journeyman plumbers from fabricating, assembling, installing, repairing, servicing, testing or performing maintenance on fuel gas piping systems unless they have a valid gas qualification.(Sponsored by Council Member Mark D. Levine)
- Int. No. 1079 would prohibit an individual from being able to "self-certify" work if it was determined by DOB that such individual had, within the previous 5 years, worked on a gas piping system without a permit. DOB would also be required to make a list of such persons publicly available on its website. (Sponsored by the Speaker Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito)
- Int. No. 1088 would require owners of buildings with gas piping systems to have such systems periodically inspected by licensed master plumbers. (Sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal)
- Int. No. 1090 would require owners to instruct their tenants to call 911 and their gas service providers, prior to informing such owners, when a gas leak is suspected. (Sponsored by Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson)
- Int. No. 1093 would require gas service operators and owners to notify DOB within twenty-four hours when gas service is shut-off or not restored due to safety concerns. (Sponsored by Council Member Rosie Mendez)
- Int. No. 1094 would require an agency or office designated by the mayor to identify a set of factors which indicate the presence of gas-related violations that pose risks to health, safety or property. The bill would also require such designated agency to submit a report to the council on using such factors to target enforcement. (Sponsored by Council Member Donovan Richards)
- Int. No. 1098 would require that gas utilities provide annual reports on the location, age, condition, and material of the various parts of the gas infrastructure in the city. The bill would also require that such utilities report on work done and planned work on such infrastructure. (Sponsored by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez)
- Int. No. 1100 would require natural gas alarms to be installed, maintained, and periodically replaced in dwelling units. (Sponsored by Council Member James Vacca)
The East Harlem explosion, reported on March 12, 2014 at 9:30 AM, collapsed two buildings at 1644 and 1646 Park Avenue. The smell of gas was originally reported to Con Edison at 9:06 AM, who dispatched a team at 9:15 AM. The team was in route when the explosion occurred. Con Edison also called the Fire Department at 9:19 AM but subsequently withdrew the phone call. The Fire Department arrived four minutes after the explosion occurred, at 9:34 AM. By 1:44 PM, Con Edison and the City were able to turn off the gas flow to the block where the accident occurred. The gas explosion resulted in 8 persons dying, more than 50 injured and more than 100 families displaced.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a team to investigate the scene. The NTSB is an independent federal agency that is charged by Congress to investigate every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant accidents on other forms of transportation that includes railroad, highway, marine and pipeline.
On March 26, 2015 an explosion occurred at 121 Second Avenue around 3:17 PM. It was reported that 2 persons died and 22 persons were injured. The fire escalated to seven alarms within an hour of the explosion which resulted in 250 firefighters on the scene. The explosion ended up destroying 3 buildings and damaged 1 additional building.
Before the explosion, the property owner's plumber was conducting work to upgrade the gas service for the building. Con Edison was at the site to check on a planned meter installation about an hour before the explosion. The work failed the inspection and gas could not be introduced to the residential units. The owner and general contractor remained in the building to work on the gas lines but left the building a few minutes before the building exploded.
On August 21, 2015, a gas explosion occurred at John F. Kennedy High School at 8:09 PM. Contractors were working on the school's science labs which was part of a project by the School Construction Authority through a private contractor. One of the contractors decided to check the gas leak by lighting a match. This set off an explosion at the high school which damaged the school's fourth, fifth and sixth floors. DOB issued a partial vacate order at the damaged locations. Three contractors were injured during the explosion.
On October 3, 2015, another explosion occurred in Brooklyn at 4206 13th Avenue. It was initially believed that the removal of a stove may have sparked a gas explosion. City officials investigating the scene concluded that a meter measuring the gas flow into the apartment was turned off. Also, the video of the explosion showed a quickly moving fire that showed thick black smoke which is not common for a gas explosion. According to a fire official, a thick black smoke is usually associated with fuel or gasoline. Housing court records showed that a judgement was reached against the tenant and a city marshal was assigned to execute the warrant. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation but city officials said that it would be unfair to label the explosion a suicide. The blast displaced dozens of residents. Two persons died and 13 persons were injured due to the explosion.
"Gas explosions are devastating, tragic, and in many cases, preventable. I applaud Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Council Member Jumaane Williams for championing a package of bills that will set forth new regulations for monitoring gas installations and enact harsher punishments against those whose actions put the safety of their neighbors at risk. As we continue to examine the potential impacts of our aging infrastructure, I look forward to continued conversation with Con Ed, the Administration, and the public in pursuit of a better, safer New York," said Chair of the Committee on Public Safety Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson.
"These measures will put in place a system checks and balances that will go a long way in protecting New Yorkers," said Council Member Williams.
