Construction Mishaps
NYC Halts Use of Crane at Site After Diesel Fuel Leak
Extell is building a 41-story residential tower near Manhattan's Central Park.
Rendering courtesy of Snøhetta
New York City building inspectors issued a partial stop work order at a 41-story residential condominium project after a tower crane leaked diesel fuel on Dec. 27. There were no injuries.
A fuel line leak on the crane allowed “diesel fuel to cascade down [approximately] 300 ft onto the public sidewalk,” according to the NYC Dept. of Buildings (DOB) complaint on the incident at 36 W. 66th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
A New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection spokesperson said 70 gallons of fuel spilled, rather than the hundreds of gallons initially reported by firefighters.
Building inspectors ordered a temporary stop of all crane activity at the site other than repairs to the tower crane. A department spokesperson said inspectors also issued a violation to the contractor, whose identify was not disclosed, for failure to safeguard the construction site.
Crane maintenance crews resolved the line leak Dec. 28, according to DOB. Inspectors found no additional hazards.
The property is owned by Extell Development, records show. A company spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.
The city Dept. of Environmental Protection and state Dept. of Environmental Conservation are overseeing cleanup operations. A DEP spokesperson said a registered environmental contractor removed all drums of diesel from the spill.
