hour, the Vanderbilt Avenue entrance to Grand Central Terminal was reopened, as well as Third Avenue. Officials estimated that repairs and cleanup would take at least a week, but as of July 21, no definitive timetable had been announced. An extended environmental clean-up would have significant adverse transportation and economic impact, because the site is in one of the busiest sections of the city, and one of the most expensive commercial districts in the U.S.More than 700,000 commuters pass through nearby Grand Central each work day. Businesses in the frozen zone were severely impacted, with financial loss estimates as high as US$30,000,000, which could have reached into the hundreds of millions if the clean-up went beyond one week. By July 21, 2007, the frozen zone had shrunk to the four blocks from 40th to 42nd Street from Park to 3rd Avenue. In a twist labeled as ironic by a city lawmaker, a law firm that has Con Edison among its lobbying clients was one of many businesses whose offices were inaccessible due to the frozen zones. Con Edison has offered to reimburse businesses for direct costs of damage and clean-up, but not for business interruption costs, such as lost productivity and revenue. Lawsuits A Brooklyn woman was the first to file a lawsuit against the utility, claiming she was traumatized by the blast, which had reminded her of her sister's death in the attacks on the World Trade Center. The family of the tow truck driver also announced their lawsuit against Con Edison on July 30. Political aftermath New York City Council member Daniel Garodnick announced City Hall hearings on the explosion were set for August 7. The city council also held hearings after the 2006 Queens blackout where Con Edison C.E.O. Kevin Burke was subjected to a grueling round of questioning by local lawmakers. The New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other city lawmakers said they intended to ask tough questions of the utility at the hearings, and would be reevaluating Con Edison's monopoly status, indicating that they have lost confidence in the utility company. At the hearing, Burke did not appear, and sent William Longhi, his senior vice president for central operations to testify instead, angering the council. Longhi provided little additional information pending completion of the investigation, sparking a heated exchange with Quinn. Councilman Leroy Comrie, the chairman of the Consumer Affairs Committee, proposed taking