The latest on Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts in New Jersey and New York:
POWER- The main utility on New York’s Long Island, the Long Island Power Authority, says that more than 14,000 homes and businesses still lack power but that most should have it back on by Wednesday. An additional 38,000 won’t because of lingering flood damage.- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo orders an investigation into how utility companies prepared for and reacted to the storm.- An attorney files a lawsuit claiming negligence by LIPA and contractor National Grid. It seeks unspecified damages and class-action status.- New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn calls for more buried power lines, generators at gas stations and other measures to help prepare for future storms.GASOLINE- Rationing efforts end in New Jersey end but continue in Long Island and New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he’ll leave the system in place “for a while.”TRAVEL- Cuomo announces expansion of the gradual reopening of a major auto tunnel linking Brooklyn and Manhattan. Cars will be allowed in one tube of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, until recently known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, running one way during rush hours.ENVIRONMENT- Officials say more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel have been recovered after a spill in Arthur Kill, a waterway between New Jersey and Staten Island. They’ve been using skimmers, a boom and other materials to clean up the 378,000 gallons that spilled.RELIEF- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $127 million in individual assistance in New Jersey in the two weeks since the storm hit.- Bloomberg announces seven new disaster-relief centers opening in hard-hit areas of New York City, including Queens’ Rockaway section, Staten Island and Brooklyn’s Coney Island. They’ll offer assistance to those still lacking power, heat and hot water and will help people applying for emergency aid and seeking advice on repairs.
