Thursday, 4:30 PM
Trigen steam pipe ruptures -- again -- in Boston
By Sarah Metcalf, Globe Correspondent
A three-story apartment building on New Chardon Street was evacuated today after a steam line ruptured beneath the road outside and possibly released asbestos into the air, the Boston Fire Department said.
Around 1:30 p.m., a 12-inch steam line across from 41 New Chardon Street ruptured, causing a geyser of steam to erupt through the road, said Steve MacDonald, spokesman for the department.
"When it ruptured, it blew the steam up through the road, and sent asphalt flying in about a 50-foot diameter," he said. Although no injuries were reported, the area was sealed off and the building was evacuated because of worries that asbestos could have been released.
Boston fire officials were monitoring the situation with air meters until Trigen Boston Energy Corp., which owns most of the steam pipes under Boston, can get an environmental company to evaluate the situation, MacDonald said.
On Sept. 12, another of Trigen's steam pipes ruptured on Otis Street, sending steam up through a manhole and causing asbestos contamination in a limited area.
Nancy Sterling, a Trigen spokeswoman, said late yesterday afternoon that crews were still on the scene. The company believes the rupture was caused by failure of an expansion joint, she said.
"We are just grateful that nobody was injured," she said.
