Owner of burst pipe pledges inspection
One day after a steam pipe burst and showered a downtown street with asbestos-laden debris, the utility that owns the pipe yesterday promised the city that it will perform a safety inspection of its entire 22-mile steam distribution network within 90 days.
Also yesterday, the Boston Public Health Commission said that air-quality testing found no signs of dangerous levels of asbestos along Otis and Summer streets, where the steam pipe burst.
"The incident resulted in no significant asbestos risk to the public health based on asbestos monitoring results," John Shea, director of the environmental hazards program for the Health Commission, said in a statement.
Four people were examined and decontaminated after being exposed to brown, mudlike material, but none were injured, the commission said.
A spokeswoman for Trigen Boston Energy Corp., which owns the steam system used to heat and cool 240 buildings in the city, said an expansion joint on the 14-inch pipe apparently failed, discharging steam, soot, and pipe insulation that contained some asbestos.
A repair crew was working on the pipe when it burst, said Trigen spokeswoman Nancy Sterling. A routine inspection identified the pipe as a problem two weeks ago, she said.
While Trigen has agreed to a complete assessment of its system, the firm believes its distribution system is safe and well maintained, Sterling added. She said an internal probe is underway to find the cause of the pipe failure.
Trigen issued a statement yesterday apologizing for "inconvenience that may have been caused to the businesses and the general public in the area."
"Despite the incident," it said, "the Trigen system is safe, reliable, and sufficiently robust to function without incident under the wide range of normal operating conditions."
James Hunt, Boston's environmental and energy services chief, said members of Mayor Thomas Menino's administration and Trigen met yesterday.
"They have given us all assurances that their system is in good operating condition and state of repair," Hunt said. "But I'm a firm believer in, 'You trust, but you verify.' And that's what that comprehensive review will do."
The city and Trigen also said the firm will not oppose legislation placing its steam system under jurisdiction of the state Department of Public Utilities.
