Pipe burst releases asbestos at steam plant
A burst pipe at one of Syracuse University’s Taylor Street steam plants raised new concerns about the ongoing legal battle between SU and the Project Orange Associates.
The burst occurred on Feb. 12, dislodging asbestos in the building. Though it did not disrupt steam production, the incident prompted Project Orange to warn SU of its practices at the plant.
The steam pipe that blew a gasket had been shut down for routine maintenance, said Kevin Morrow, director of SU news services, in an e-mail. It was turned on to test the success of maintenance when it burst.
‘Escaping high-pressure steam disturbed some encapsulated asbestos on nearby piping, resulting in fine particles being dispersed into the air,’ he said.
The steam produced on Taylor Street provides heat for SU, Crouse Hospital, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, VA Hospital and Upstate Hospital.
In a Feb. 18 letter to SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor with regard to the blown gasket, Project Orange President Adam Victor said, ‘SU’s executives appear to be continuing to make questionable decisions that risk the well-being of the entire community that depends on the steam system.’
Air samples have been taken and have been coming back clean, Morrow said, and workers at the Alco Plant, where the incident occurred, are not wearing respirators. The university has submitted a clean-up plan to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Alco Plant was built in 1929 and renovated in the 1960s. It is typically on standby with the adjacent Riley plant, built in 1952, providing all the steam, Morrow said.
SU has been producing its own steam since October, when Project Orange, an independent contractor, stopped operating its nearby cogeneration plant after 17 years amid allegations of price gouging and secret cooperation with other companies. This came after both parties sued each other in November 2008 in relation to the allegations.
Other recent legal action includes:
Both SU and Project Orange will file briefs on Tuesday about SU’s request for the New York State Supreme Court to throw out the original November 2008 lawsuit before it starts. If the judge decides to let the case proceed, a trial could start in the spring.
A judge has put SU’s notice to evict Project Orange from the steam site on hold until the main lawsuit is settled. SU argued that when Project Orange stopped providing steam in October, it breached the terms of the lease and thereby forfeited its cogeneration plant, where steam and electricity are produced.
Lawyers for SU and Project Orange submitted oral arguments Jan. 28 concerning an eminent domain motion by Project Orange in Appellate Division court in Rochester. Project Orange asked the state to seize SU’s steam distribution property, alleging that SU is cheating the public institutions to which it sells steam. A judge has yet to rule on this case.
The Public Service Commission has yet to decide on Project Orange’s request that it regulate the prices at which SU sells steam to its customers.
Published on March 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm
