Steam pipe explosion may have exposed officers to asbestos

BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore police say officers who responded to an explosion of an underground steam pipe may have been exposed to asbestos.

Detective Jeremy Silbert said in an email that Veolia North America, which operates Baltimore’s steam pipe network, notified police about the possibility of asbestos exposure.

Silbert said a number of Baltimore officers were among the first responders. He says they’ve been informed of “necessary safety precautions.”

The explosion Tuesday punched a huge hole in the street, damaged two nearby hotels and covered parked cars in dust, asphalt and other debris. Five people were injured.

News media outlets report that tests found low levels of asbestos at the site.

The Baltimore Sun reports that two Maryland Department of the Environment certified-asbestos contractors were at the scene of the explosion Thursday.