On July 18, 2007, a geyser of steam and mud erupted almost 70 feet in the air near Grand Central Terminal around 6 p.m. after a 24-inch steam pipe exploded beneath Lexington Avenue. The force of the explosion ripped a 40-foot hole in the street, flipped a nearby tow truck, and rained debris for blocks. Local hospitals treated a handful of New Yorkers for burns and one woman died from a heart attack believed to be induced by the explosion. |
Mayor Bloomberg, using information gathered by the Police Department, quickly attributed the explosion to a failure of the city’s antiquated infrastructure. The steam pipe dated back to 1924. The Mayor’s statement allayed fears of terrorism, but the age of the ruptured pipe raised concerns about asbestos— a hazardous material widely used in construction and insulation until the 1970s. Its presence added new demands to the City’s response. |
To minimize exposure to the hazardous material, the City established a restricted, or “frozen,” zone around the site of the explosion. Responders wore protective gear and the Police Department re-routed all vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the area. |
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tested over 140 samples for asbestos, but all air samples returned clean for anything more than harmless amounts. Nevertheless, the City asked any pedestrians in the area at the time of the explosion to wash thoroughly.
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Meanwhile, the Fire Department worked with DEP and the
Department of Buildings (DOB) to wash down the facades of buildings in the
frozen zone.
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The incident marked the first national activation of the Corporate Emergency Access
System— a pre-event credentialing system that allows essential
employees access to restricted areas following an emergency. The City
admitted card holders to the restricted zone through an access point
managed by OEM and the Police
Department. |
