The City Blog Site has an article published on August 5th, 2024 titled “Cancer-Causing Chemicals Still Lurk Under NYCHA’s Jacob Riis Houses, 19 Years After Detection” by Greg B. Smith. Highlight excerpts follow below.

“Public housing tenants first learned about toxic contamination underneath the Riis Houses in 2005. The NYCHA development is built on top of what was once a 19th century manufactured gas plant notorious for spewing noxious substances.

Dozens of soil samples collected in 2005 by an environmental consultant hired by Con Ed, the plant’s original owner, registered elevated levels of cancer-causing chemicals lingering below the surface — in some cases just two inches from the surface — decades after the plant had shut down.”

“Further complicating the situation at Riis: broken underground pipes near Building #4 are releasing steam up through the contaminated soil. During several recent visits, THE CITY witnessed steam pouring out of every imaginable opening around the building, like geysers in Yellowstone National Park. 

Residents too have complained about the billowing steam, and last year NYCHA was even forced to relocate a tenant away from its path. “

Steam Leak in New York City Causes Asbestos Contamination By: Devin Golden on August 8, 2024 A steam main (steam pipe) began leaking and spewing asbestos in New York City last week. The incident contaminated the air in a section of Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

According to ABC7 New York, the leak occurred through a manhole on Park Avenue between East 69th and 70th streets. Asbestos was detected in debris spewing from the leak. City officials asked residents to close their windows due to the hazard of asbestos in the air.

Asbestos in Steam Pipes By: Devin Golden on August 8, 2024

Steam mains, or pipes, transfer steam from a boiler to where the steam is needed. To protect other utilities or pipes, steam pipes are usually buried multiple feet underground and encased in concrete. When there are leaks, asbestos debris can spew above ground through manholes, sewer drains or construction sites.

Asbestos can absorb heat, which is why it was selected to line steam pipes. Unfortunately, asbestos is a dangerous mineral capable of causing cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. more at https://www.mesotheliomaguide.com/community/steam-leak-in-new-york-city-causes-asbestos-contamination/

NYCHA workers installed pipes in the ground to try and divert steam from entering a Jacob Riis Houses building, July 2, 2024.

Credit: Alex Krales/THE CITY

Data available metrics of toxics found