Manhattan
Manhattan represents the pulse of the New York Metropolitan area. It is arguably the business and financial banking capital of the world. Densely populated and home to what we know as the familiar New York City skyline, it is amazing to think that in 1626, Peter Minuit bought the Manhattan area for what amounted to $24 worth of trade goods from the native populations. Today, as the most populous county in the country, Manhattan represents all facets of industry. Some of the aspects of the industrial age have proven to be negative, such as asbestos exposure. Manhattan, as a large city, naturally has many places in which asbestos exposure could have occurred. These include the borough's many power plants which service the city, the shipyards of the Hudson, as well as the WTC following the horrible events of September 11th, 2001.
Power Plants
The power plants of Manhattan are an integral part of the operation of any modern city. They represent the lifeline by which the "city that never sleeps," sustains its vivacity. Unfortunately, they are also known to be particularly prone to risk of asbestos exposure. The processes by which a power plant generates energy almost always require controlled high heat environments that must be insulated. This is where asbestos was most extensively utilized. Because of its resistance to heat and heat transfer, asbestos cover's nearly all of Manhattan's older piping and electrical fixtures. Many of these fixtures fall under the control of Consolidated Edison (Con Edison), one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States. As a regulated utility, Consolidated Edison provides steam, gas, and electrical energy throughout the New York Area.
One notable incident involving a Con Edison fixture was the July 18th, 2007 steam pipe explosion in midtown Manhattan. Just about the time of the evening rush hour an enormous steam pipe rupture occurred at the intersection of 41st St. and Lexington Ave. The rupture created a crater nearly 35 ft wide. Initially, shock-scarred Manhattan assumed that this was caused by another terrorist attack, though thankfully those fears were alleviated later than night by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The rupture was caused by a 24-inch steam pipe installed in 1927. The explosion resulted in one shock-related death and 45 injuries, many of them caused by the 400 degree steam billowing out of the crater for nearly two hours. One of the frightening aspects of this explosion was not simply the initial incident but the toxic materials that was released by the rupture. One of more disturbing toxins released was asbestos, a known human carcinogen. Asbestos covered much of the rubble and many people were made to undergo decontamination procedures.
On August 19th, 1989 a similar incident occurred at Gramercy Park in lower Manhattan. The blast killed three people and injured dozens nearby as scalding mud and asbestos were spewed into the air causing thousands to be evacuated. For sometime after the exposure Con Edison attempted to conceal the fact that asbestos had been released. In 1995, a court ordered sanction against Con Edison ruled that the utility did indeed attempt to conceal the fact that dangerous asbestos fibers were released into the air. The utility was sentenced to three years probation.
Shipyards
Due to lower Manhattan's emergence in the world of powerhouse financial banking firms and United Nations presence, the shipping industry has all but vanished from the island's former docks. However, many shipyards once operated in lower Manhattan, servicing New York as the world's shipping capital. In fact, from 1830 until 1960, New York's harbor in Manhattan was the world's busiest, particularly along the East river. During this time, asbestos was a common material used in shipbuilding and repairs. Countless people who worked in Manhattan's shipyards were exposed to dangerous asbestos particles. The fact that many of these yards closed or relocated prior to the dangers of asbestos being known, left many of their former workers completely unawares to the harmful toxic substances they were exposed to.
World Trade Center
The heinous terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 cost the lives of 2, 726 Americans when the World Trade Center towers came crashing down, forever altering history and America's sense of self identity across the globe. Unfortunately lives were lost not only at the World Trade Center that fateful Tuesday morning, but also in at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and over rural Pennsylvania. The effects of this day in history have proven to be profound and important as the country moves forward into an unknown era of foreign policy.
Unfortunately, the damages of September 11th, 2001 still live on in much of the country. One of the ways in which the negative effects of that day persist is the exposure to toxic materials that many of the victims and first responders encountered that day and the days following. While clearing the rubble and searching for survivors amongst the ruins of the World Trade Center, many people were exposed carcinogenic asbestos fibers. Some of these exposures were in such concentrations that there has been at least one death already from exposure on September 11th, along with countless others who may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos induced respiratory complications as a result of exposure in lower Manhattan.
