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Harlem explosion warns against perils of aging infrastructure
Mains in Boston and Washington, D.C. are also failing
An explosion in Harlem that left seven people dead, injured 28 and leveled two buildings on Park Avenue is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak from an underground main, rousing concern about the city’s aging infrastructure.
And the Big Apple, it appears, isn’t alone: a January report found that Washington, D.C.’s buried gas mains were leaking methane in 5,893 places, at concentrations ten times higher than the point at which explosions can occur. A 2012 report uncovered spots in Boston with equally worrisome issues.
Despite alerting the city, officials have yet to repair the D.C. leaks, according to previous reports. [Slate] — Angela Hunt