Con Edison's Success in Reducing Risk: Applying Real-World Lessons Learned to Broaden Spill Planning and Response Programs and Build Personnel Competencies

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1910-1921
Author(s):  
Patrick Hanley ◽  
Thomas Healy ◽  
Nancy Shannon
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
New York State ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A Company

ABSTRACT Con Edison's service territory covers more than 1,000 miles of inland and coastal shoreline in one of the most heavily regulated and scrutinized areas of the Unites States: New York City. In November 2009, the company experienced a catastrophic failure of a large transformer at a high-voltage electric substation, resulting in approximately 200 gallons of dielectric oil impacting the Bronx River. While the volume of oil was relatively small, the duration of the cleanup lasted nearly one month with costs of approximately $1.75 million, plus a nearly $1 million compliance order issued by New York State for violation of state regulations. Following this event, and through a study of all historical spill incidents, it was clear that the primary risk of spills to the environment came from the more than 30 million gallons of oil contained in the company's high-voltage transformers and oil-filled electric transmission and distribution system, which were not covered by existing Facility Response Plans developed as part of implementing OPA 90. Given these results, the company sought to refine existing spill response program elements to further reduce risks and enhance environmental stewardship. Using the existing Spill Management Team (SMT) model in the OPA 90 program, a company-wide SMT approach was created to better prepare for and reduce the risks associated with potential spills from all company sources. The team consists of more than 50 personnel from the various business units of the company, providing direct access to a wide spectrum of skill-sets and specialties. In addition, the company has developed Oil Spill Contingency Plans (OSCP)—also covered under OPA 90—with detailed response tactics for over 300 locations. On the heels of the program implementation, a large spill of dielectric oil from an underground high-voltage electric distribution line resulted in more than 2,000 gallons impacting the Hutchinson River. While the impact to the waterway was greater than in the 2009 event, the response duration was only 6 days with clean-up costs just over $300,000 with no state issued compliance order, a significant improvement. This result was due, in large part, to implementation of the OSCP and SMT programs. Through these experiences, the many benefits of establishing a company-wide SMT and the OSCP's were realized, including developing spill response and Incident Command System expertise, refined coordination, and improved cost management. These efforts have significantly reduced the company's spill risk exposure by improving response capabilities.

Lessons Learned While Implementing Mandatory Health care–Associated Infection Reporting in New York State

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Stricof ◽  
Carole Van Antwerpen ◽  
Perry F. Smith ◽  
Guthrie S. Birkhead
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
York State ◽  
Health Care Associated Infection

scholarly journals The impact of the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law on spine surgery patient payer-mix status and age

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas W. Villelli ◽  
Hong Yan ◽  
Jian Zou ◽  
Nicholas M. Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Reform ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Spine Surgery ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care System

OBJECTIVESeveral similarities exist between the Massachusetts health care reform law of 2006 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The authors’ prior neurosurgical research showed a decrease in uninsured surgeries without a significant change in surgical volume after the Massachusetts reform. An analysis of the payer-mix status and the age of spine surgery patients, before and after the policy, should provide insight into the future impact of the ACA on spine surgery in the US.METHODSUsing the Massachusetts State Inpatient Database and spine ICD-9-CM procedure codes, the authors obtained demographic information on patients undergoing spine surgery between 2001 and 2012. Payer-mix status was assigned as Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured, or other, which included government-funded programs and workers’ compensation. A comparison of the payer-mix status and patient age, both before and after the policy, was performed. The New York State data were used as a control.RESULTSThe authors analyzed 81,821 spine surgeries performed in Massachusetts and 248,757 in New York. After 2008, there was a decrease in uninsured and private insurance spine surgeries, with a subsequent increase in the Medicare and “other” categories for Massachusetts. Medicaid case numbers did not change. This correlated to an increase in surgeries performed in the age group of patients 65–84 years old, with a decrease in surgeries for those 18–44 years old. New York showed an increase in all insurance categories and all adult age groups.CONCLUSIONSAfter the Massachusetts reform, spine surgery decreased in private insurance and uninsured categories, with the majority of these surgeries transitioning to Medicare. Moreover, individuals who were younger than 65 years did not show an increase in spine surgeries, despite having greater access to health insurance. In a health care system that requires insurance, the decrease in private insurance is primarily due to an increasing elderly population. The Massachusetts model continues to show that this type of policy is not causing extreme shifts in the payer mix, and suggests that spine surgery will continue to thrive in the current US health care system.

Evaluating the impact of three incentive programs on the economics of cofiring willow biomass with coal in New York State

Energy Policy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep J Tharakan ◽  
Timothy A Volk ◽  
Christopher A Lindsey ◽  
Lawrence P Abrahamson ◽  
Edwin H White
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
York State ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
The Impact

The impact of snowfall on crashes, traffic volume, and revenue on the New York State Thruway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Call ◽  
Guy A. Flynt
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Traffic Volume ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
York State ◽  
Inclement Weather ◽  
Daily Data ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Traffic Volumes ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSnow has numerous effects on traffic, including reduced traffic volumes, greater crash risk, and increased travel times. This research examines how snow affects crash risk, traffic volume, and toll revenue on the New York State Thruway. Daily data from January for a ten-year period (2010-2019) were analyzed for the Thruway from the Pennsylvania state line in western New York to Syracuse.Anywhere from 35-50 percent of crashes are associated with inclement weather, with smaller impacts, proportionally, in areas with greater traffic volumes. As expected, snow was almost always involved when weather was a factor. “Unsafe speed” was the most common cause of crashes in inclement weather with all other factors (e.g., animals, drowsiness) much less likely to play a role. The percentage of crashes resulting in an injury did not change significantly with inclement conditions when compared to crashes occurring in fair conditions, and there were too few fatal crashes to make any inferences about them.Daily snowfall rates predicted about 30 percent of the variation in crash numbers, with every 5.1 cm of snowfall resulting in an additional crash, except in Buffalo where 5.1 cm of snow resulted in an additional 2.6 crashes. Confirming earlier results, daily snowfall had a large impact on passenger vehicle counts while commercial vehicle counts were less affected. Revenue data showed a similar pattern, with passenger revenue typically decreasing by 3-5 percent per 2.5 cm of snow, while commercial revenue decreases were 1-4 percent per 2.5 cm of snow.

Social Work Perspective

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-905
Author(s):  
Sandra Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Sickle Cell Disease ◽  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
New York State ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Cell Disease ◽  
York State ◽  
The Impact

The ultimate objective of newborn screening for sickle cell disease should be twofold. The first essential step is the identification of the infants at risk. This has been effectively done in New York state as of 1975 through the New York State Newborn Screening Program. However, identifying these children is not enough. Second is the much more complicated task of providing comprehensive follow-up care for families whose children are affected by the disease, including the much needed psychosocial services. This area continues to be sorely neglected. The increased risk of death due to overwhelming infection in the first 3 years of life for children with sickle cell disease has been noted in the literature. When there is no specialized care, 15% to 20% do not survive. Therefore, it is essential for knowledgeable staff to make contact and begin to develop a trusting relationship as soon as possible with parents of infants born with sickle cell disease. Prophylactic penicillin and pneumococcal vaccination can reduce mortality during the early years. Family involvement with a consistent, available team of health care providers is pivotal in understanding this chronic illness and coping effectively with this extraordinary stress. Our staff is available by telephone for consultations with patients or other medical staff during clinic and emergency room visits and hospitalizations. One element that is clear in our experience at the St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Sickle Cell Center in New York City is that adjustment to this chronic illness is a lifelong process. One or two counseling sessions at the time of diagnosis are not sufficient to enable families to fully understand the information given or to realize the impact of having a child with a chronic illness.

How Does a Reduction in Mandated Medicaid Spending Affect Local Fiscal Behaviors? Evidence from New York State

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-547
Author(s):  
Yusun Kim
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
Effective Property ◽  
Medicaid Spending ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Sudden Decrease ◽  
The Impact

In 2005, New York (NY) state capped the growth of county-level Medicaid spending, which abruptly decreased counties’ Medicaid outlay in both relative and absolute terms. This study exploits this discontinuity in county Medicaid outlay to estimate the impact of the relief mandate policy on county budgets and property tax levies. It bridges a gap in the public finance literature by addressing local government responses to a sudden decrease in the outlay of a large mandatory spending category. We find a compositional change but no income effect on non-Medicaid spending. However, the policy reduced the effective property tax rate significantly by 6.6 to 8.1 percent on average among affected NY counties after the enactment of the policy relative to control counties. This study advances our understanding of local fiscal responses to an intergovernmental fiscal policy that changes how state and local governments share the costs of a large public social insurance program.

Economic Impacts of Rail Transit on Recreational Shore Communities: Case of the north Jersey Coast line

2015 ◽  
Vol 2531 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Devajyoti Deka ◽  
Michael Lahr ◽  
Thomas Marchwinski ◽  
Maia de la Calle
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Coast Line ◽  
The North ◽  
Expenditure Data ◽  
Rail Line ◽  
State Taxes ◽  
The Impact

This study estimated the impact of spending by North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) riders during summer weekends on the economies of the Jersey Shore communities known for beach-oriented recreational activities. The NJCL is a commuter rail line that provides many workers with access to their workplaces on weekdays throughout the year. The line also provides a large number of recreational visitors from New York City and other parts of New Jersey with direct access to the Jersey Shore communities on summer weekends. To estimate the economic benefits to the shore communities from spending by NJCL riders on summer weekends, this study used a software program (R/ECON) regional input–output (I-O) model developed by the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Visitor expenditure data from an onboard survey of NJCL riders were used as model inputs. The survey was conducted during the summer of 2013 and was completed by 2,241 riders returning from the shore area. The R/ECON I-O model provided estimates of economic benefits to the shore communities in terms of jobs, earnings, gross domestic product, state taxes, and local taxes. The model also generated return-on-investment multipliers for these variables. The study showed that the $14.8 million spent by NJCL riders on summer weekends in the shore communities generated approximately 225 annualized jobs, more than $9 million in earnings, and more than $1 million in state taxes. More than 80% of the economic benefit was generated by out-of-state visitor spending.

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