As many in our community are aware, last Thursday, July 19, there was a steam pipe explosion in Manhattan’s Flatiron district. While clean-up operations are still underway in the area, test results have positively confirmed the presence of asbestos in the resulting debris, and the New York City fire department has evacuated 49 affected buildings. Fifth Avenue remains closed between 19th and 22nd Streets for decontamination.
Con Edison has advised anyone within approximately a block of the blast at Fifth Avenue and 21st Street to bag the clothes they were wearing and to deliver them to one of Con Edison’s collection centers:
- 10 E. 15th St., inside Clinton School
- Near 19th Street and Broadway
- 22nd Street and Broadway
While this may feel burdensome, we join the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) in urging anyone whose clothes or belongings may have been contaminated to comply and to even double bag the contaminated articles in order to avoid further exposing themselves or others to potential asbestos dust. We advise against washing contaminated clothing in a conventional washing machine as the fibers may become airborne. One should also not put contaminated articles into the trash as that may expose sanitation workers. The best and safest option is to deliver any contaminated articles to Con Edison for disposal. Claim forms are available at www.coned.com/en/services-and-outages/claim-form for article reimbursement.
This situation is a reminder that asbestos exposure is an ongoing problem in the United States and the world. While the Meso Foundation supports a ban on asbestos, we believe that funding medical research is the most effective path to finding better mesothelioma treatments and to eradicating the disease. Learn more about asbestos at www.curemeso.org/asbestos.
Please share with your family and friends in the NYC area. If you have any questions, contact the Meso Foundation at 703-879-3797 or email [email protected]. We are here to help.
