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Utility Heads Get Grilled on Who’s Responsible for Pipe Explosion

by Lisa Chow

NEW YORK, NY January 22, 2008 —Con Ed was under tough questioning today, as city council members looked to force the utility to accept responsibility for last summer's deadly steam pipe explosion.

REPORTER: Speaker Christine Quinn pressed Con Ed's William Longhi for a statement of responsibility.

QUINN: Who's fault was it? God's, yours, the city's.

LONGHI: in today, we're not going to pass judgment on that, there are literally....

QUINN:Ok, let me say. You need to.

REPORTER: Longhi told Quinn he couldn't comment on who was to blame for the explosion, because of multiple lawsuits against the company. But he did concede that it was Con Ed's responsibility to make sure its steam system was safe. A review of the blast found that heavy rain, leaks in the pipes, and a clogged valve lead to the rupture.


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