Con Ed Pays $64 Million After Inspector Fakes Westchester Pipeline Tests

Con Edison spent more than $64 million to repair natural gas pipeline welds in Westchester County. The utility company paid that amount to fix work that had been tested using falsified results. The U.S. Department of Justice provided the figure in a recent report.

The repairs addressed specific welds on gas lines in the county. The inspector in charge had reported that the joints met safety standards. In reality, the tests were faked to make the work appear sound.

The remediation work covered the specific sections of pipe that had passed the bogus checks. The cost reflects the expense of correcting the errors after the deception was uncovered. Con Edison is the operator of the natural gas distribution system in the area.

The Department of Justice noted the financial impact of the scheme. The $64 million sum represents the direct cost of the fixes. This amount does not include other potential expenses related to the investigation.

The case involved a pipeline inspector who handled the safety testing. The inspector reported positive results on the welds. Those reports allowed the pipelines to remain in service until the issues were found.