Questions remain after Queens-Midtown Tunnel flooding

Published: Sep 04, 2024 Duration: 00:02:44 Category: News & Politics
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CLAIMING IT COULD SAVE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS. >> AND BIG QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN ABOUT HOW A CONTRACTOR COULD BREACH THE QUEENS MIDTOWN TUNNEL, CAUSING WATER TO GUSH DOWN ONTO CARS, SHUTTING DOWN THE TUNNEL FOR FIVE HOURS YESTERDAY. ALL RIGHT. >> FOX FIVE'S LINDA SCHMIDT JOINS US LIVE FROM MURRAY HILL WITH WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING TODAY. LINDA >> YEAH. GOOD EVENING TO BOTH OF YOU. FIRST OF ALL, AND THIS INVESTIGATION, AS YOU KNOW, IS WELL UNDER WAY. THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW THIS HAPPENED. AND PREVENT IT FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. IN THE MEANTIME, I DID INTERVIEW A CIVIL ENGINEER TODAY, AND HE WAS TELLING ME THIS COULD BE HUMAN ERROR. EQUIPMENT FAILURE, OR POSSIBLY BOTH. THE SOUTH TUBE OF THE MIDTOWN TUNNEL LOOKED LIKE A CAR WASH YESTERDAY. WATER FROM THE EAST RIVER SEEPING IN. THE CITY SAYS NEW JERSEY CONTRACTOR WARREN GEORGE DRILLING COMPANY ACCIDENTALLY PUNCTURED THE CAST IRON LINER OF THE MIDTOWN TUNNEL. THE COMPANY WAS DOING SOME EXPLORATORY DRILLING FOR A CITY PROJECT TO EXPAND A WALKWAY ALONG THE EAST RIVER NEAR THE UNITED NATIONS. MICHAEL SHINODA IS A CIVIL ENGINEER AND AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT FARMINGDALE STATE COLLEGE. >> THE QUEENS-MIDTOWN TUNNEL IS JUST OFF THE RIVER FROM THAT UN COMPLEX, SO BASICALLY THEY ENDED UP BY GOING OFF TRACK, ACTUALLY PENETRATING INTO THE TUNNEL. >> PROFESSOR SHINODA SAYS IT COULD HAVE BEEN HUMAN ERROR, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, OR BOTH. IT'S A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE SYSTEMS THAT TELL THE DRILL WHERE TO GO. >> IT'S A MATTER OF TESTING, SEEING WHAT'S THERE IN ADVANCE. IT'S A MATTER OF EXPERIENCE. IT'S A MATTER OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S AROUND THE NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HIRED THE CONTRACTOR TO DO THE DRILLING. >> THE AGENCY TODAY SAYING EDC IS UNDERTAKING A THOROUGH REVIEW OF YESTERDAY'S INCIDENT AND HAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED ALL DRILLING ACTIVITY PENDING THE RESULTS OF THAT REVIEW. THE CITY SAYS THE 2.5IN HOLE HAS BEEN PLUGGED AND IT IS A SAFE, TEMPORARY FIX. HOWEVER THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A PERMANENT REPAIR OVER TIME. >> THE WATER THROUGH THIS OPENING CAN BUILD UP PRESSURE AND MAY CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN THE LONG TERM. SO THEY WILL WANT TO OBVIOUSLY DO A MORE PERMANENT FIX. LONGER TERM DAMAGE WOULD HAPPEN OVER THE COURSE OF, YOU KNOW, MONTHS, YEARS. >> AND THE PROFESSOR RIGHT THERE WAS GIVING A WORST CASE SCENARIO. IF THIS IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY AND QUICKLY. NOW I DID REACH OUT TO THE CONTRACTOR, WARREN GEORGE, AGAIN. THEY ARE BASED IN NEW JERSEY, THE DRILLING COMPANY. THEY DID ANSWER THE PHONE, BUT THEY S

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