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A Ticking Pipe Bomb? Keyspan’s New Natural Gas Line Close To Third Rail, Open To Anyone
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| The pipeline runs dangerously close to the third rail.
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By JAMES J. PARZIALE
In this post-Sept. 11 world, citizens of New York have been asked to have an eye out for potential terror threats. New Yorkers have been told that precautions for heightened safety must always be at the forefront and at times that calls for an out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new line of thinking.
Keyspan Energy appears to have missed that memo.
The gas utility has an old transmission pipeline that runs underneath the Grand Central Parkway to bring gas to the MTA’s Jamaica rail yard. As part of a plan to upgrade facilities and phase out older pieces of its network, Keyspan decided to replace the pipe, but this time with a 12-inch steel pipe that runs atop a railway and pedestrian bridge that crosses the Grand Central.
The high-pressure natural gas pipeline is easily accessible to pedestrians, subject to extreme weather, hugs the top of an overpass that sees 1,000 or so subway trains venture weekly into the Jamaica rail yard – and lies within a few yards of the third rail.
Yard Workers Worry
A concerned member of the MTA who works at the Jamaica yard voiced concern about the well-being of the employees and the overall stability and safety of the overpass. He contacted the higher-ups at the MTA, Keyspan and local politicians, hitting roadblocks all along the way. MTA spokeswoman Deirdre Parker had little to say about the on-going construction.
“I’ll have to take a look into it,” said Parker, who said she first fielded inquiries at the beginning of the month. “I’ll get back to you.” Subsequent phone calls requesting information were not returned.
The concerned transit worker dreads the lack of security surrounding the pipeline, which he was told would go into use Thursday.
The new pipe, which spans about 300 feet, is not protected by security patrols or video surveillance. The concerned transit worker, who chose to speak only under the condition of anonymity, said this “300-foot pipe-bomb” is very easily accessible to anyone with sadistic thoughts.
“With supposedly heightened security, how anyone could approve something like this? I don’t know,” said the worker, who has fielded concerns from about half of the nearly 100 workers at the rail yard.
In addition, the worker said that if the pipe is exposed to track fires and extreme weather, he worries a gas leak could potentially level the entire bridge.
“In the fall, we get all of the leaves onto the tracks,” the worker said. “The guys are very diligent with cleanup, but it’s impossible to keep up with. There are always track fires here, especially in the fall. I brought it to the union and they sent someone, but I haven’t heard back in three weeks.”
“We assumed they were going to bury [the pipe], but we came to find out it is staying exactly as is,” the worker added, pointing out that a portion of the pipe is about three feet away from a third rail. “This track is a very active track. God forbid there was a derailment; a train could easily plow into this pipe.”
The Jamaica rail yard houses close to 80 percent of Queens’ subway cars, the worker said. The E, F, G, V and R trains all call it home, and if the track was ever damaged, mass transit in Queens would be brought to its knees.
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| Graffiti can be seen on the overpass within feet of the pipeline.
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“It would cripple Queens,” said another worker at the site, also speaking under the condition of anonymity. “You’re talking about wiping out [four highways] and all of the trains in Queens. At night you come in here and there’s a train on every track. There’s only so much service running. There’d be over 1,000 subway cars in here that [the MTA] would lose.”
Passing The Buck
Keyspan spokeswoman Karen Young said the pipe meets the requirements handed down from the New York State Public Service Commission. Young explained that digging up the old pipe wouldn’t be feasible because it rests beneath “a very busy intersection.”
“We designed the new pipe following the PSC codes,” she said.
When asked if she knew the pipe’s exact location, she said: “I’m not sure of the exact line…It does follow PSC guidelines.”
PSC guidelines under rule 255.317, protection from hazards, states: “Where pipelines are exposed, such as at spans, trestles, and bridge crossings, the pipelines and mains shall be reasonably protected by distance or barricades from accidental damage by vehicular traffic or other causes.”
Upon inspection, entry to the pipeline was easily attainable through the Isle Metzger Sitting Area near 78th Avenue alongside the service road to the Grand Central. A Queens Tribune reporter and photographer were able to walk up to the new pipe and touch it after merely stepping over a guard rail. The area where the pipe is placed is strewn with graffiti.
PSC spokesman James Denn said the pipe was inspected “recently” and that it passed inspection. Because it is a distribution pipe, Keyspan did not need permission or approval on where to place the pipe. If it is found to be unsafe after installation, DSC can step in. “It’s not part our requirement,” Denn said. “It’s not covered under our guidelines.”
Keyspan alleges that “the pipe was safe and there was a low probability of the pipe being damaged,” said Denn, who added that Keyspan is now accessing other safety options, but that is unconfirmed by the energy provider.
Attempts to reach major government agencies ended in dead-ends and finger-pointing. A representative from the New York City Office of Emergency Management, which specifically deals with terrorism and crisis prevention, said the pipe was the responsibility of the Department of Environmental Protection. In turn, DEP said it does not regulate the matter.
The Department of Homeland Security skirted any liability, pointing inquiries to the National Transportation Safety Board. An NTSB spokesman said that it also does not set guidelines in these instances; rather it is “just an investigative agency.”
Who’s Checking Security?
Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), Chairman of the City Council Public Safety Committee, was flabbergasted at the idea such a project gained approval.
“This flies in the face of common sense,” he said. “It’s like dangling dynamite over a bonfire. I don’t think you need to be a genius to know this is a bad idea.”
Vallone, whose outrage has prompted him to delve into the matter, added that he works diligently with the NYPD to prevent terrorist threats and measures like these undercut those efforts. Keyspan provided little information to Vallone, who stated this is a prime example of why companies and government agencies need to be monitored more closely.
“You think we would have learned from Sept. 11 that every agency needs oversight,” Vallone said. “[Keyspan] has created a location where there can be the maximum amount of damage possible.”
Tamara Young-Allen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which regulates the intrastate construction of natural gas facilities, was taken aback when told that the rerouted pipe would be above a major highway.
“I’ve not heard of that,” said Young-Allen, who works in Washington D.C. “They usually build them underground. I can’t think of one here.”
If FERC had jurisdiction, she continued, “There would be an extensive review. We have public hearings and a potential appeals process.” FERC also would do an extensive environmental and security report about the surroundings, she said.
Vallone said that his concern is “not just terrorism. It’s a high accident area. Protecting the public safety should be a relatively simple process. It is alarming that something like this could happen.”
“I work right here,” the MTA worker said. “My main concern is life and death. My wife told me to take out more life insurance.” |
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