Med Center tries to get METRO's attention on stray current

Via KHOU-11:

On Thursday, the Texas Medical Center filed a lawsuit against Metro for the potential damage of electrical current leaking from Metro's rail line.

It is a story 11 News has been covering for more than two years now. A study commissioned by the Texas Medical Center confirms that as Metro's electrical light rail line passes through the area, it is emitting a stray current that travels through the ground.

As that current reaches underground pipes and other metal, it can speed up corrosion.

In the case of the miles of high-pressure steam and the chiller pipes that cool the Medical Center buildings, corrosion is not a good thing.

"It's like waves eroding a beach,” said Stephen Swinson, of Thermal Energy. “Over time it’s just going to get worse and worse and worse. The alarm system should not be steam's blowing out of the ground.”

But two years into this dispute, the statute of limitations, and patience is running out.

No agreement on a solution or even on monitoring the potential problem has been ironed out with Metro.

So, the Texas Medical Center and the Thermal Energy Corporation filed a lawsuit asking a judge to force Metro to act.

[snip]

The suit does not ask for money. It asks that Metro agree to an annual monitoring program, and that they come up with a plan to eliminate or minimize the problem or current leakage.

This Friday, another Metro Chat is scheduled, and this time the topic is open. Maybe this will come up.

Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/01/08 06:33 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Sphere | Comments (10)

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