In December, Con Ed sent out a media release detailing the improved preventative maintenance steps they are taking to avoid property destruction and loss of human life. 

By Bill Lawyer  

In December, Con Ed sent out a media release detailing the improved preventative maintenance steps they are taking to avoid property destruction and loss of human life.  

And for good reason.

In the past year, the New York metropolitan region has been rocked by a succession of explosions due to gas leaks. Last March, two East Harlem buildings were completely destroyed, with eight people killed and over 60 injured.

During this winter’s cold snap and snows, heavy use of road salt, which can seep underground, has resulted in several underground gas leaks that caused manhole covers to explode, injuring people and pets alike.  

Westchester County has 2,045 miles of underground “gas mains.” Gas mains are the gas pipes that lead up to the meters of homes, office buildings, and other natural gas service locations.  

During the spring and summer, Con Ed worked with their engineers to develop an improved system for scanning and monitoring Westchester’s gas lines. A highlight of these improvements is that all the County’s gas lines will be monitored every month, instead of once per year.  

This expanded monitoring has been made possible through the application of new technology. Con Ed technicians drive specially fitted trucks and vans along all the County’s roads where gas pipelines run. Tubes draw in the air from the roads, and highly sensitive equipment is used to determine the presence of natural gas.  

Con Ed is partnering with the Environmental Defense Fund. Mark Brownstein, associate vice president of the Fund, notes: “Natural gas leaks are an important source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas pollutant, and steps to reduce these leaks are not only good for safety, they are an important step in the fight against climate change.”

Con Ed spokesperson Sidney Alvarez pointed out that increased monitoring needs to be supplemented by people contacting Con Ed if they have any suspicion that there may be a gas leak in their home, office, on the streets or any other location. After moving a safe distance away from the suspected leak, call 1-800-75-CONED.

A second component of Con Ed’s proactive approach is their pledge to replace at least 65 miles of old gas mains each year, regardless of leaks. Some of the region’s gas lines are more than 120 years old.  

To provide Rye residents with a better understanding about how Con Ed deals with reported leaks, they have set up a map on the Web (coned.com/gasmap) that shows where they are located and their repair status. Leaks classified as Type 1 or 2 on the map (blue dots) are considered priority leaks, which the company immediately makes safe and repairs as soon as possible.

The vast majority of gas leaks are Type 3, (green dots) which are not considered hazardous but are monitored at least once per year. When conditions permit, such as during planned street excavations, Type 3 leaks can be scheduled for permanent repair.

As of March 9, there are 7 blue dot leaks and 16 green dot leaks in Rye 10580:

 

Blue:
Immediately inspected and made safe. Priority repair.

    1.    Hall’s Lane
    2.    Oakland Beach near Allendale
    3.    Old Post Rd. & North
    4.    Halsted near Dearborn
    5.    New near Cedar
    6.    Orchard near Walnut
    7.    Purchase near Cedar

 

Green:
Poses no safety threat. Crews
monitor to keep area safe.

    1.    BPR & Overdale
    2.    Van Wagenen & Stuyvesant avenues
    3.    Milton near Milton Harbor House
    4.    Forest near Cornell
    5.    Halsted near Oakland Beach Ave
    6.    Harding near Coolidge
    7.    Theall near Playland Access
    8.    BPR near Milton
    9.    Theo Fremd near North
    10.   I-95 near Theo Fremd
    11.   Central near Maple
    12.   Grace Church near Grapal-a
    13.   Grace Church near Grapal-b
    14.   New near Purchase
    15.   New Street
    16.   Wappanocca near Natoma