DOB Program Seeks To Bring Unsafe Gas Piping Up To Code

NEW YORK, NY — A new program, created through a law passed by the New York City Council, seeks to incentivize residents to bring potentially unsafe gas piping work up to code compliance without being subjected to any penalties, according to the NYC Department of Buildings.

The Gas Piping Work Civil Penalty Amnesty Program will take effect on April 5 and will waive any penalties for the legalization of pipelines and fees related to a violation for work performed without a permit.

The program is open to all NYC building owners. To qualify, the piping work in violation of the code must be completed before the law takes effect on April 5, the applicant must apply for a permit before Oct. 5 and all work must be completed within a year after the permit is issued.

The amnesty program is limited to Limited Alteration Application jobs and does not include any larger-scale projects, which would require any construction work. The DOB said it is not aware of any plans to establish an amnesty program for larger projects.

To enroll in the program, the applicant must submit a LAA, which is restricted to repair or replacement of existing equipment. Under Section 9, the applicant must first write "Gas Piping Amnesty Work," then identify the type of filing (either legalization or violation) and then describe the details of the project proposed.

If the application is approved, the DOB will waive the penalties associated with the gas piping work, if any.

LAA-related code violations usually receive a penalty ranging from $800 to $10,000.

You can access the LAA form here.

There were two recent explosions related to unsafe piping work in NYC — one in East Village and another in East Harlem.

Photo courtesy of PSE&G