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RODRIGUEZ INTRODUCES LEGISLATION INSPIRED BY HARLEM EXPLOSION ON 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Legislation will require the City to compile all underground infrastructure in central database to be made available to the public upon request

After the Harlem Explosion exactly 1 year ago Councilman Rodriguez began to explore how our city can better compile and map it's underground infrastructure to prevent incidents like the East Harlem explosion from reoccurring. Yesterday, Councilman Rodriguez introduced INT 715 that will require the Mayor to compile various pieces of our underground infrastructure. Some underground infrastructure like gas and electrical lines are already compiled by city government but by different agencies forcing developers, emergency response teams or even other government agencies to navigate through numerous levels of red tape before they can begin excavating a particular site. Under the Legislation the City would be required to prepare a plan to map all underground infrastructure and recommend how to best make this plan available to the public. Rodriguez's legislation will ensure that one singular agency will hold all data for companies, response teams and agencies to attain upon request.

Currently a program called the "OneCall" system allows construction crews to ask specifically if a gas or water line is at a specific location. Councilman Rodriguez recommended that after this data is compiled construction crews be given access in a similar manner. Further, by expanding what is available publicly the legislation will allow construction crews to avoid hitting electrical or cable lines preventing potentially tragic accidents and expensive errors.

"I'm proud to introduce this cost saving and potentially lifesaving legislation," said Councilman Rodriguez. "By expanding our city's knowledge of what lies below our streets and sidewalks we will have a better understanding of the age of our infrastructure and potentially prevent incidents like the Harlem Explosion from reoccurring. Further, by compiling underground infrastructure in one singular agency and making it up available upon request we will we able to able to ensure construction crews have the fullest picture possible before breaking ground."