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Smoky Plume At Power Plant Draws Alarm In Queens

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A defective boiler was blamed for a plume of black smoke that blasted out of the "Big Allis" power plant in Queens Monday.

City Councilman Peter Vallone (D-22nd) took note of the "ugly black smoke" spewing from the power plant at 36th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard in the Ravenswood section of Queens.

Vallone later reported that power plant owner TransCanada had confirmed a defective boiler caused the problem. The plant lost a boiler combustion fan due to heat, which resulted in the smoke, he wrote.

The boiler was shut down and the smoke stopped, but the area lost 500 megawatts of power, Vallone wrote. He said there was no reported risk of brownouts.

The FDNY told 1010 WINS there were no injuries.

Formally known as Ravenswood No. 3, the "Big Allis" plant was constructed by the Allis-Chambers Corporation in 1965, and was owned by Con Edison and National Grid before being purchased by Alberta, Canada-based TransCanada.

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