It’s been almost exactly a year since the massive East Village explosion that killed two people and destroyed three buildings. Following the accident, investigators determined the explosion was caused by an illegal gas installation orchestrated by the building owner, which contractors had effectively hidden from inspectors. On February 11, 2016, five people were indicted for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection to the explosion. A plumber was also accused of faking inspection records as part of the findings.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Department of Buildings (DOB) is now stepping up their efforts to inspect building gas lines. Utility companies are now required to promptly alert the NYC Buildings Department or the Office of Emergency Management about unauthorized gas plumbing complaints so they can be addressed immediately. In the past, utility companies were granted 90 days to report such complaints.
In addition, the DOB is increasing gas line inspections. In a New York Times article, Commissioner Rick D. Chandler reported that the DOB conducted 343 gas line inspections in 2015, five times the number of inspections conducted in 2014. The DOB is also boosting the number of plumbing inspectors on staff, hiring 17 additional inspectors over the past year alone.
