Blackout's cause remains unclear

Con Ed official unable to explain why power was out for 19 hours in poor N.Y. neighborhood.

The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Fifteen hours into a blackout that cut power to some 300,000 people during a scorching heat wave, the president of the utility company responsible for providing the electricity walked around the neighborhood trying to answer questions. The head of Consolidated Edison, J. Michael Evans, apologized to people -- many of whom sat wearily outside in 94-degree heat to avoid even hotter apartments that had started to smell of rotting eggs and spoiling meat. But Evans had few answers about why predominantly poor, densely packed Washington Heights in Manhattan had no power while most of the city had no noticeable energy problems. Several days after the July 6 power failure, Con Ed can explain the series of events that led to the breakdown -- feeder cables failed in the area after a surge in use. But it still doesn't know why it happened. Fallout from the 19-hour blackout is likely to include investigations, lawsuits and the residents' belief that electricity in one of the city's poorest areas was shut off so the rest of the city could remain in light. "You'll never be able to convince anybody that it was a random event," said David Paterson, a state senator who represents parts of the area. "They think it was very deliberate and they think it was a chosen way to handle the problem at our expense." Con Ed, which plans to spend $14 million on transmission and distribution infrastructure this year, said they already have appointed a team of experts to figure out why the feeder cables failed in some places but not others. "Believe me," said Con Ed spokesman Joe Petta. "We want the answers as much, if not more, than anyone else." Mayor Rudolph Giuliani chalks it up to human failure. "Last night was not a natural disaster," the mayor said on the morning after. "Last night was a man-made disaster." Giuliani and City Council Speaker Peter Vallone have demanded investigations, and both the city and state governments have scheduled hearings on the issue this week. Giuliani also has promised a city lawsuit against Con Ed to recoup $1.5 million in overtime for police maintaining order, as well as an undetermined amount for response to emergency medical calls related to the power failure. City lawyers also are considering suing Con Ed for consumer fraud -- not delivering promised goods. A class action lawsuit and a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of consumers are also likely. One resident has filed a lawsuit already, alleging the company was negligent in preparing itself for a predicted heat wave. Con Ed, however, says the lights went out in Washington Heights and neighboring Inwood simply because that is where the power system failed, though they still don't know why. The state Public Service Commission said Con Ed is one of the most reliable providers in the industry, averaging fewer power failures than any other electric provider in the state, said spokesman David Flanagan. The blackout caused no fatalities, but the heat wave that prompted it led to at least 28 deaths, according to the city's medical examiner. The power failure also ruined heat-sensitive medical research on AIDS and Alzheimer's disease being conducted at the area's largest hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. The hospital says the damage is likely to cost $20 million.

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