NYC: Deadly gas explosion highlights city's crumbling infrastructure

[Emily]

http://time.com/23232/new-york-city-is-crumbling/

New York City Is Crumbling

Adam Forman

March 13, 2014
...

It is still unclear what caused Wednesday?s tragic explosion in East Harlem. Firemen and forensic inspectors are still combing through the debris. But many signs point to a 127-year-old, cast-iron gas line that served the collapsed buildings.

Sadly, these old gas lines are not uncommon in New York City. The city?s 6,362 miles of gas mains are 56 years old on average and 53 percent are made of unprotected steel or cast iron, corrosive and leak-prone materials. In 2012, this aging network of gas mains and service lines was responsible for nearly 6,000 gas leaks across the city. ...