As if the East River wasn’t toxic enough https://t.co/uw15dvcSnU
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) May 9, 2017
There have been news reports throughout the day about the Con Ed substation in DUMBO that "spewed dielectric fluid into the East River on Sunday, causing an oil slick that witnesses said could be seen in Queens," as Gothamist put it.
A Coast Guard spokesperson described this as a "catastrophic failure" of a transformer at the substation.
The spill also caused a voltage dip that caused delays on several subway lines and suspended NYC Ferry service.
Here's the official statement from ConEd:
Con Edison is working to contain and clean up transformer insulating oil that was released from one of our substations in Brooklyn near the East River. A transformer containing approximately 37,000 gallons of insulating oil used with electrical equipment, failed on Sunday May 7 at 12:23 p.m., causing much of the oil to be released within the station property in addition to the East River. The equipment failure also caused a system voltage dip that impacted the MTA’s signaling systems on Sunday, resulting in a disruption to some train service.
Con Edison responded immediately, placing boom, absorbents and skimmers in the river. Our own employees and environmental contractors are working on the cleanup, and we are working cooperatively with the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and other agencies. We continue to assess the volume of oil that migrated to the East River, and how much oil remains in the ground on our property.
The Coast Guard has issued reduced speed restrictions for commercial vessels operating in the area, and banning recreational vessels, to assist the cleanup process. We are taking all actions to contain and clean up the oil as safely and as quickly as possible.
Enough with their monopoly/near monopoly!
ReplyDeleteFRACK this are we sure they were not drilling there
ReplyDeleteAll the poor cormorants and gulls and fish... i hope there is a huge fine for this.
ReplyDeleteWell if there is a huge fine, you can bet that as sure as God made Cleveland, your Con Ed bill will be going up to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteIs this a part of Trump's future without an EPA? Who needs regulations, right? Hope someone responsible is overseeing this clean-up.
ReplyDeleteYet there are people fishing in the East River right now. Why isn't the city warning them?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous at 9:30 AM,
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with Trumpinator. The EPA is alive, (it came in under the Tricky One in 1969, which libsters don't like to hear) so don't blame it on lack of regulation or free markets, as ConJob Edison is a government-granted crookopoly.
Free markets and the rule of law is the way to minimize these oil spills. Get with libertarianism already.
Check out Murray N. Rothbard's Cato Journal article on air pollution and property rights. MNR was the Marx of the libertarian movement.
Bill
11:14, I'm not sure what you're selling but if it's a shift away from the usual cast of gripers around here AND it upsets them so, I'm definitely interested in buying.
ReplyDeleteI assumed most or all of the E. River fishing is strictly for sport. It's always been one of the most polluted waterways anywhere.
ReplyDelete11:14 and 12:42: Not upset nor interested, nor do I hold out much hope for the now GUTTED EPA (who cares who started it...if it gives me an impetus to praise a crook like Nixon, whatever). Basically I'm not holding out hope for anything government related at this point. Yeah, Trump is so great that's why he's the subject of an investigation in need of a special prosecutor. And Pruitt is more concerned with suing the EPA than cleaning up what's left of our environment. Yeah, bring back big coal, shit in our rivers, and let's all celebrate the great plastic islands in our oceans. Global warming is a big scam and lie told by the Chinese who just want to export cheap plastic crap to the U.S. And you say that I'm the naive one. Hope you enjoy the greenhouse effect. Bet 2017 is hotter still.
ReplyDeleteRULE OF LAW? You must be joking... What laws? What regulations? They only apply to those who can't make the pay-offs and bribes. Pruitt doesn't even understand the purpose of the EPA and Trump and company ARE ONLY OUT TO DISMANTLE GOVERNMENT PROTECTIONS AND REGULATIONS in order to stroke "big business"; it's the same lie we were told about "trickle down economics". Eliminating government isn't the answer. Putting responsible and QUALIFIED people in government positions would be more effective. All the libs realize that TRUMP isn't interested in even filling 80 percent of the positions in his WH and HE ALL BUT ELIMINATED THE STATE DEPT. while our foreign relations are tenuous at best. Trumpinator? Really? He drained the swamp all right, all while swapping spit with Vlad while grabbing whatever he could destroy by the pussy. He starts out as an embarrassment and it goes downward from there.
Today most of the regular fishermen were gone so it looks old like they got the word out. But I passed one guy with three rods in the water up by Stuyvesant Cove. Maybe someone should put up signs. And yes they eat these fish and probably sell them too.
ReplyDelete