Following the July 18 steam pipe explosion in Manhattan, Con Edison, the utility that owns the pipe, informed city officials and the media that debris from the blast likely contained asbestos. Many of New York’s underground steam pipes are insulated with asbestos, and previous explosions—most notably in 2007 near Grand Central Terminal and in 1989 in Gramercy Park—have led not only to fatalities but to concerns about asbestos exposure.  New York’s network of steam pipes dates from the late 19th century and delivers steam to hundreds of buildings. The steam is put to many uses, such as heating, powering air conditioning units, dish washing in restaurants, and sterilizing instruments in hospitals. Over the years, Con Edison has repaired frequent ruptures; according to the utility, these repairs often involve the removal of asbestos insulation. But preemptively removing all the remaining asbestos would require digging up most of Manhattan’s streets. The New York Department of Environmental Protection stated that no asbestos had been detected in air samples taken after the July 2018 explosion (see in the NewsWatch section of this issue). Information about New York’s steam pipes appears below.