New York City has detected more than 2,000 gas plumbing violations since a set of rules took effect in 2020 that were tailored to crack down on unlicensed work in that industry, an official in Mayor Adams’ administration said Monday.
Signed into law by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, the rules tightened regulations around gas installation, maintenance and repair work in the city, with the goal of preventing another tragedy like the March 2015 East Village gas line explosion that destroyed multiple buildings in the Manhattan neighborhood and killed two people.
At a Monday morning hearing in the City Council, Kazimir Vilenchik, Adams’ acting Buildings Department commissioner, testified that his agency has in the years since the rules were implemented issued at least 2,083 tickets for gas plumbing conducted without proper work permits. That included 1,150 violations in 2021, 842 in 2022 and 91 so far this year.
The legislation passed after the East Village explosion designated gas work done without permits “immediately hazardous,” warranting stricter penalties and faster corrective action.
The law required that gas pipe work in the city be carried out by plumbers who have obtained “Gas Qualification” licenses from the Department of Buildings. The licensing requirement was seen as especially important in the wake of the East Village inferno because the plumber who helped rig the gas line that exploded did not hold proper credentials to perform the work.
The number of violations...
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