NStar spars with city on electric shocks

[wdlove]

Do any of you guys have this problem in your city?

In full-page newspaper ads and testimony before the City Council yesterday, NStar officials denied responsibility for recent incidents in which dogs and pedestrians were shocked by electrical current on Boston streets and sidewalks.

Boston officials, meanwhile, countered by accusing NStar yesterday of violating state law by not maintaining and properly overseeing underground wires blamed for electrical current on city streets and sidewalks.

At yesterday's hearing, utility officials said the electric shocks, which killed one dog and injured three others, were not NStar's fault. Instead, they blamed the problem on damage inflicted by "other companies and organizations" that were working on city streets.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/03/09/nstar_spars_with_city_on_electric_shocks/

 

[Roger1]

Sadly, this is one of those situations where somebody (probably a child) is going to die before anything gets done about it. If people and animals are getting electrocuted, does it really matter who's at fault? This has the potential to be life and death. It should be fixed--immediately.

Hmm. I wonder. If the utility has inspected the lines and discovered that the damage was caused by "other companies and organizations", did they repair the damage, or are they leaving it until "the responsible parties" step forward to pay for it??


stupid, stupid

 

[jrv3034]

I'm in New York City, and recently there was a big hoopla over that same thing. A woman died because of trying to get her dog away from the electricity, I believe. Very scary. I'm going to try to find some links to it here in NYC.

EDIT: I found it. Here's a copy, so you don't have to register for the NY Times website.



METROPOLITAN DESK | February 6, 2004, Friday
After a Death, Tests Show High-Voltage Dangers Lurking on the Streets

By IAN URBINA (NYT) 1075 words
Late Edition - Final , Section B , Page 6 , Column 1

DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF 1075 WORDS - It's a map of hidden ... Three weeks after Jodie S. Lane was killed by an electrified metal plate while walking her dogs in the East Village, Consolidated Edison as of yesterday had found more than 280 service-box lids, manhole covers and lampposts around the five boroughs and Westchester County...


Correction: February 10, 2004, Tuesday

An article on Friday about Consolidated Edison's repair of electrified service-box lids, manhole covers and lampposts misstated the way shoes protect people from shocks. They insulate; they do not act as a ground. (A grounded object conducts electricity.) A picture caption misstated a finding by The Times at a lamppost in Sunnyside, Queens. The post was conducting an electrical current, not emitting electricity.

 

[wdlove]

People aren't affected because of rubber and leather shoes. The dogs don't have protection. One dog has died. Two others were hospitalized overnight. NStar is blaming the problem on contractor problems. That they damage cable and cover them up without properly notifying NStar. Now NStar is doing a city wide check of man hole covers itself. The have got major complaints from city residents and now the city council.