Problem

huffingtonpost.com - March 13th, 2014 - Saki Knafo, Chris Kirkham

Public officials and engineers have long warned about the dangers posed by the outdated, moldering pipelines that snake beneath the streets of major cities like New York, feeding gas into the furnaces of millions of homes.

For nearly two decades, federal authorities have directed pipeline operators to replace these leak-prone, cast-iron lines with pipes made of plastic and other modern materials. And many states, including New York, have embarked on programs to do just that.

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Firefighters respond to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse in East Harlem on March 12, 2014. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

newyork.cbslocal.com - March 12, 2014

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – . . . A massive explosion rocked East Harlem Wednesday morning, leveling two buildings and sending smoke and flames billowing into the air. . .

The explosion reduced two five-story buildings to rubble. It also shattered store windows for blocks and hurled glass, bricks and other debris throughout the neighborhood.

The explosion and building collapse were so strong it generated weak seismic signals that were recorded at seismographic stations in New York City, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said.

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submitted by Margery Schab

capitalnewyork.com - by Scott Waldman - March 7, 2014

ALBANY—A consultant hired by the state Health Department to assist in a review of the health effects of fracking recently published a study that concluded “substantial concerns and major uncertainties” should be resolved before it is expanded nationally.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has indicated that his final, long-awaited decision on whether to permit fracking will depend on the department's findings. 

John Adgate, of the Colorado School of Public Health, surveyed a number of recent health-related studies of fracking and published his findings last month in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.

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CLICK HERE - STUDY - Potential Public Health Hazards, Exposures and Health Effects from Unconventional Natural Gas Development