http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=57739
Thieves set out in the night to the mostly deserted streets of the Love Canal Neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York.
Their quarry: Manhole Covers.
The theft of manhole covers is a phenomenon being experienced across the United States, driven by a boom in the recycled metals market in developing nations like China.
An entire ring of thieves was recently busted up in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Though certainly not as prevalent here, Niagara Falls Water Board Director Gerry Grose confirms the theft of seven manhole covers in the Love Canal Neighborhood in the past couple of weeks.
While the manhole covers made of cast iron can fetch up to $20 dollars each in some parts of the nation, one Niagara Falls scrap metal dealer says they're only worth $8-10 in these parts.
The Niagara Falls Water Board was able to quickly replace the ones purloined thus far with spares, but Grose says they've just about run out of the extras they have on hand and will likely have to purchase new ones.
What nets thieves a few bucks can cost municipalities --and therefore taxpayers-- approximately $100 to replace.
However, the public safety aspect is the greater concern. The wheel of a vehicle passing over an uncovered manhole can be torn off, while an unsuspecting pedestrian can be seriously injured or killed by falling down a manhole.
